Twilight's Revenge
by Zoram Selrof
Summary: Sequel to Stream Other Hist. It's been about two months since the defeat of the psychothic Net Navi "Cache" and all impetum carried over from the Beyondard adventure and consequent adventures is slowly dying off: things are getting back to normal. But a sinister character will emerge again and seeks a terrific-styled revenge against Rock Man and Netto. Rated M for torture.
1. Chapter 1: Strategy Trap

**Twilight's Revenge**

**By Zoram Selrof**

**Chapter 1: Strategy Trap**

13:13 AM (Japan Time), Friday April the 30th, 2006…

"… What heat! And we're only at May, huh…"

"Yeah… Even I can feel the slugging of my functions through the virtual heat in the Cyber World, Inukai…"

"Yeah, Beast Man…"

Inukai Takeo, former "Neo WWW" member, was talking with "Asteroid" Beast Man as he projected a miniature hologram from a new-model PET Inukai carried on his right hand.

This new-model PET had a general rectangular shape and was colored using the brown coloring Inukai had used for his previous PETs.

The upper portion was a white hill-like shape and smooth: the left side had two small round buttons set very close to each other and a smooth surface: the right side had the Slot – In slot on it plus a small red pyramid-like mark over it: the slot also had a pyramid-like shape to it and was colored white: the underside had two small holes with something set on them.

The emblem occupied the upper half of the device and a white stripe crossed through it from the top until it reached the LCD screen's border: this LCD screen was rectangular and had a black inner border plus a white outer border.

The rest of the surface was colored blue and set in a mosaic-like pattern over it: the PET looked practical.

"But I'm surprised… We're at May and I can barely remember anything I've done ever since the cops caught me back on October, the total eclipse day… I remember some weird machine popping out, making some electrical display and then… Nothing."

"And the last thing I remember was when I got deleted destroying the "Dimensional Generator" Core Blocks in the Science Labs… Someone must've bothered to rebuild me, yeah. But they didn't leave any trace of their involvement. I woke up just a few hours ago, here, on this new PET, and inside of your apartment…" Beast Man muttered.

"Along with an email telling me to come here… If it's from the benefactor then I gotta thank 'em, so…" Inukai muttered.

"Number 25's the address."

"Number 25… This is 21, so…" He muttered.

Inukai reached a small and decrepit-looking house the door of which was ajar as if inviting to come inside.

"Huh… Here…"

"Looks rather worn-out, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. Guess they want to pick a sneaky spot."

Inukai opened the door and then closed it behind him: the interior of the house was dusty and it looked like no-one had lived there for several years.

"Hullo! Is anyone here?" He called out.

Inukai looked around the rooms: they were all dusty and devoid of any furniture whatsoever.

"O-oi, Inukai… Got a bad feelin'…"

"Don't panic! They're testing us, Beast Man. Huh?" He grinned.

Inukai then spotted the door to the basement: it was open and a computer-written note had been attached to it.

"Come into the basement."

"If they say we go down then down we go."

"What if it's a trap?"

"Don't be an idiot."

Inukai and climbed down the stairs into a small hall before a door which was ajar: he looked around and then stepped into the next room.

"Hullo?"

He gasped: there was a person standing behind a desk.

They were a man about 1'90 meters tall who wore a black trench-coat, a brown hat with a navy blue band around it, a black suit below the coat, pants, and brown shoes, plus a balaclava and sunglasses.

"Eh… Cha called us 'ere?"

"Correct. Mr. _Inukai Takeo_."

"And ya resurrected me?" Beast Man guessed.

"True."

"Who are cha?"

"The "Shadow Schemer"." The man replied.

"…"Shadow Schemer"…? I've heard that name somewhere before… Ah! I remember! The newspapers were full about a guy named "Shadow Schemer" having managed to fill Paris, Rome, Berlin and London with terror and fear!" Inukai recalled.

"Correct. I've restored your memories and your "Asteroid" because I need your cooperation." He told him in a semi-polite manner.

"Cooperation…?" Inukai sounded mistrusting.

"Do you desire revenge?" The man suddenly asked.

"Revenge? Why should I?" Inukai shrugged.

"… Or maybe you wish to have revenge on Hikari Netto and Rock Man EXE?" The man questioned.

Inukai gasped and looked like the man had hit the mark: Beast Man also looked up at the mention of the names.

"Y-yeah…! But… The brat's a "Net Savior"… I wouldn't want the whole of the Net Police come after me… I can't be careless…" Inukai admitted.

"Y-yeah. And the brat always manages to beat me no matter what!"

"Heh. Then how about we go by the proverb "to fool the enemy first fool the ally"?" The man sounded amused.

"Cha mean…?" Inukai seemed to guess what he was up to.

"Correct. I'll make them learn the consequences of their idiocies and have them engraved within their flesh forever. That is where you come in, Mr. Inukai." The man told him.

"I see! I like that! _Boss_." Inukai looked animated.

"Hah! It's about time I sliced that blue brat up!"

"Mind you, Mr. Beast Man… I will not allow you to delete them. I have plans for it." The man warned in an icy tone of voice.

"Huh! Ah… Then I'll be content with inflicting pain to the brat…" Beast Man sounded scared, for once.

"Y-yeah… Same goes for me…" Inukai gulped.

"Excellent. Then let's get on the move ASAP. Strategy Trap: Start."

"Okay, _Boss…_ What do I have to do?" Inukai asked.

"You'll be my _business partner_ for today. Go to this address and wait there." The man commanded.

He handed him a torn piece of paper which had an address written into it: Inukai looked at it and then pocketed it on his jeans' right pocket.

"Heh. Looks interesting. Don't they, Beast Man?" Inukai smiled.

"Yeah! I'm gonna have my revenge! Bwah, hah, hah, hah!"

"Yeah… Today we'll have them regret getting in the way… Wait for my orders there and don't do anything on your own."

_Today terror and fear will rule you two!_

17:47 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Hum, hum, hum!"

"You're really taken in by that melody. Eh, Netto – kun?"

"Sure, Rock Man."

Hikari Netto was walking down a street while eyeing the pedestrians around him: he carried a blue and white-colored new-model PET set on an arm-strap which had a white plastic structure built on it and Rock Man was "sitting" on Netto's right shoulder as he projected with the miniature 3D hologram.

"This "Link" PET Enzan came up with is cool! This hologram allows ya to see the real world!" Netto grinned.

"Sure… Otouto."

"Don't worry, Saito – niisan… Nobody's paying attention!"

"Yup. I know."

"But, really…! We've gone through a lot ever since November! We had the "Zoanoroid" Invasion and our adventure into "Beyondard" which stretched from late November to until the 22nd of December. We luckily made it back just before Christmas. And starting around January the 9th and spanning until March the 30th… We had the "Professor", several lone incidents, and, finally… That "Cache" guy!" Netto listed.

"Yeah! But it'd seem things have settled down a bit ever since that. You're improving in your school results, too, Netto – kun! Otouto!"

"Guess so, Saito – niisan… By the way…"

"Yeah? What's up?"

"We haven't seen a hair outta that mysterious man ever since some days after Cache's defeat… You know… That man named "K. S."…"

"Yeah. I figure he's been monitoring us from afar from some reason or another and doesn't want us to interact with him…"

"Why would he, though?"

"Maybe he thinks we'll see a "freak" on him seeing how… Well. You know what I mean." He trailed off.

"Oh… True."

They didn't spot a pedestrian looking at a black and brown Link PET which displayed what seemed to be overhead live footage of Netto as seen from above and behind in a diagonal angle.

This man seemed to be around 25 or 26 years old and past a meter and eighty in height.

He wore a brownish trench coat over a black suit with a brown tie, black pants and brown shoes plus a brown hat having a black band circling it atop his head: a pair of sunglasses covered his eyes.

_Yes. That's the main reason. But the other reason is because I still feel guilty for not warning you gentlemen about "that man"… I know he's been fooling around in Western Europe but anyway… I thought Mr. Forte or Mr. Freeze Man would've told you about them but maybe they think they're not dangerous as long as they fool around there… Mr. Hikari Sr. and Mr. Hikari Jr… _

"… But, really… Dekao's now buying whatever Bubble Man comes up with and they end up failing! Bubble Man doesn't learn his lesson: he still believes he can make the world become the land of "Darkloids"…"

"But since he's rather harmless then we tolerate him."

"I know he was cooperating with Kurohige and Chirol when trying to build "Copy Roids" but he ended up solo after that… He sold a "Mini Roid" to that guy who was Element Man's Operator and botched our fun in the aquatic amusement park. Sometimes Ice Man and Aqua Man go and play with him, right?" Netto asked Saito.

"Yup. And we've also become stronger thanks to the "Bestialize Chips" and the "Cross Links" with other Navis: you use the touch-pen to link two PETs and the Navi's data can work like a "Soul Unison"…"

"… Yes. And such the payload it must bear will have to be increased by another 5% and… OUCH!"

"WHACK!"

Netto suddenly crashed with someone coming from the corner right ahead: they ended up in the floor and Netto rubbed his forehead while the other pedestrian his chest.

"O-ow!"

"O-ouch…"

"Huh? Ah! Meijin – san! If it isn't Meijin – san!"

_Oh my. Mr. Meijin discussing about some Science Labs project and ending up not looking when he was turning the corner…_

"O-o-ouch…! _San wa iranai_! Netto – kun…!" Meijin groaned as he managed to stand up and pick a cell-phone.

"Meijin? You alright?" Someone asked over the phone.

"Y-yeah… Just a little accident… Well! As I was saying… Once I wrap up this little investigation I'll come give you a hand with the development, Kanie…" He told the caller.

"OK. Later."

"What a surprise! I thought you were working on some new Science Labs project with Papa…" Netto grinned as he stood up too.

"Well… Yes: an improved "Vaccine Chip"… Anyway… I was about to check some info related to the "Net Saviors"…"

"Huh? An incident?"

"Well… I received a call regarding mysterious activities in an abandoned house. I then found out that the culprit was Bubble Man. And he'd amassed what looked like _real_ "Copy Roids"." Meijin explained.

"Crap. That Bubble Man… When will he realize it? The "Darkloids" are over! There'll be no "rule of Darkloids"!" Rock Man rolled his eyes.

_True, true._ The onlooker thought.

"Yeah… I suspect he might pop out to defend his stuff, so maybe you two would be able to deal with him… I was gonna check it out myself in case it was someone's idea of a joke but…"

"Then I'll come! Meijin – san!" Netto announced.

"Is that okay with you…? I could call Enzan – kun or Laika – kun as well, you know…" Meijin suggested.

"Don't mind 'em! I can do it without sweating! Let's go, Meijin – san!"

"_San wa iranai_… I'm not middle-aged yet!" Meijin sounded frustrated.

"Heh, heh! Who knows?" Rock Man teased.

"… Fine… Please follow me…" Meijin sighed in defeat.

Netto and Rock Man giggled as they followed Meijin towards somewhere else: the onlooker shrugged.

_Well. Let's go have some cooling at the Game Center. This seems to be a simplistic mission anyway._

"By the way… Meijin – san!"

"_San wa iranai_!"

"Are you going out in a date with Makoto – san?"

"HUH! Makoto – kun, you say? Eh! No! That's...!" He suddenly blurted out while blushing.

"Then Meiru – chan was right!"

"B-but… That's… Hum… W-well…"

"Aha! It's supposed to be a secret to everyone~? Don't worry, Mei – jin – sama! I'll keep it!" Netto's grin grew wider.

"… _Sama wa iranai_…" He sighed in defeat.

"Let's go tackle the mission!"

17:55 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Phew! I'm tired…"

"About time! Dingo!"

Dingo had come into the Maha Ichiban Curry Shop while looking exhausted and defeated: Maha looked towards the entrance and sounded annoyed.

"Gimme a break! It wasn't easy finding the way there!" Dingo complained.

"You'd found it out ASAP if you'd asked me…" Tomahawk Man grumbled with obvious annoyance as he stood above Dingo's right shoulder.

"Really… You're always like this!" Ooyama Dekao told him as he popped out of the kitchen with his cook uniform on.

"Guts, guts!" Guts Man added as he swung his arms.

"Hmmm… It would seem the Lord is not intended on guiding you." A familiar voice commented with a hint of sarcasm.

Dingo looked at one table and spotted Dark Miyabi sitting next to it: he'd finished a _curry_ dish and looked somewhat amused.

"Miyabi…! Drop that "Lord" stuff already… This ain't the Sen-something at all!" Dingo growled.

"You mean the _Sengoku_ Era." Shadow Man corrected as he came out with the hologram.

"Whatever!" Dingo sounded exasperated.

"Rebellious youth, it'd seem!" Another voice exclaimed.

Dingo spotted Dr. Wily sitting next to another table: he was ruffling his moustache and looked in a good mood.

"Dr. Wily… Those mottos of yours are outdated…" Dingo told him while rolling his eyes.

"Dingo! That's not the way to speak to Wily – sama!" Maha scolded.

"Gimme a break! The WWW ended long ago!" Dingo complained.

"No. And watch and your manners." Maha replied.

"Ah! By the way! Dingo! Speak up! I need to know it!" Dekao suddenly told him.

"Know what?" Dingo frowned.

"… Not again…" Tomahawk Man seemed to know what it was about.

"Why can you do "Cross Fusion" and I can't?" Dekao questioned.

"Again… Dekao! You can't. I can't. That's all there's to it." Maha sounded annoyed.

"But, Master…!" Dingo protested.

"No "but". This is life. You can't change what's done." Maha scolded.

"But I don't want it to show-off! I want it to protect Meiru – chan!" Dekao insisted.

"I'd rather say the miss can defend herself quite well." Maha dully sentenced.

"No way! Meiru – chan needs a strong man to protect her!"

"Dekao. That's in the movies. Get back to cooking." Maha sounded annoyed by now.

"… Yes, Master… Damn it!" He growled.

He headed back inside of the kitchen while Miyabi stood up.

"I'll be going. Shadow Man! Take care of the payment." He announced.

"Fine, Miyabi." Shadow Man shrugged.

"You might find a _Sengoku_ descendant around the corner." Wily suddenly announced with a hint of amusement.

"Dr. Wily. Your attempts to make up jokes are not good." Miyabi dully told him.

"Heh, heh, heh… Who knows?" He replied.

"I know." Miyabi settled.

"Payment: complete." Shadow Man announced.

"Farewell."

Miyabi stepped out while Dingo drank a glass of water and Wily finished off his dish.

"Well… It'd seem that disciple of yours is somewhat old-fashioned, Maha Jarama." Wily told him.

"True, Wily – sama. He will not accept reality no matter how many times we tell him the same thing." Maha confirmed as he dried dishes with a towel.

"Yeah. "I wanna do Cross Fusion"… He brings that topic up _every friggin' month_." Tomahawk Man quoted before folding his arms and sighing in defeat.

"Yo~! Meiru – chan! I'll protect you!" Dekao suddenly blurted from the kitchen.

"No need to, Dekao – kun. I alone defeated "Asteroid" Desert Man back when the "Yggdrasil Incident", see." Meiru replied through a phone call Dekao had apparently started up.

"WHA~T?"

"Yeah. And if you don't cook the curry then I'll get angry."

"YIKES!"

"Saw it comin' a mile away…" Tomahawk Man wasn't surprised.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…" Wily chuckled.

"DE – KA – O!" Maha yelled.

"YIKES!"

"Get to work, you fool! Or else someone will regret it! Move it!"

18:11 PM (Japan Time)…

"… * yawns * … What time is it, Blues?"

"PM 18:11, Enzan – sama."

Ijuuin Enzan was stretching while sitting on his chair placed inside of his VP office: he looked rather sleepy and Blues was projecting with the PET's hologram projector.

"… Guess I gotta take a break… I've been working way too much in this stuff." Enzan muttered.

"It would be wise, Enzan – sama." Blues agreed on it.

"Let's go to the "Game Soul" Game Center… Maybe I can show Netto this new security upgrade and ask for his opinion." Enzan suggested.

"I am sure Saito would like trying it out." Blues smiled and sounded like he thought it was a good idea.

Enzan sluggishly stood up and picked some stuff before leaving the office: he suppressed a yawn.

"By the way, Enzan – sama… Ooyama Dekao sent a mail, sir."

"Dekao? Not again. "Why can't I do "Cross Fusion", Enzan?"… Ask that to Sakurai." He fumed.

"True, sir."

"Or, rather… To Mr. Smith."

"Who is he, sir?"

"Don't mind. I was kidding." Enzan grinned.

"Roger, sir."

"Anyway… The sales for the PET have gone up?" Enzan shrugged and switched topics.

"5% compared to last month. The software upgrading was well-received as well, sir."

"Excellent."

"Yet… It was a close thing, sir."

"You mean "Cache", right? Yeah. Weren't it for Trill, who somehow made it here again from "Beyondard", none of us would've survived. That guy was crazier than Twilight, even. Or maybe he was imitating him: I mean, the "Spectrum Incident" was similar in the aspect that all was turned into cybernetic data…" Enzan reflected.

"Yet that monster left the environment largely untouched and only digitized living things or small objects… And according to Netto, he came up with some hallucination of an alternate world where PETs and Net Navis had never existed but it was all a hallucination brought forth by those Jamming Men…" Blues muttered.

"That guy was nuts. Thankfully we all poured our power into Netto and broke away from being cache data on the jerk's servers which stopped providing them with power."

"Switching topics… Do you think "Beyondard" is progressing on their rebuilding?" Blues asked.

"Maybe. But a war which has extended for over 15 years or close to 20 and ravaged the whole planet… It'll take decades to recover to the level before the war… The computers we found on the very first day there were a hint of the lasting of the war: they were things which existed here on the 80s or early 90s…" Enzan recalled.

"And in the end, thanks to Trill's power, the "Super Cybeast" and Beyondard's Dr. Wily were defeated… And the "Bestialize Factor" erased from the world, returning it to normal…"

"Yeah. It was sad to part with them but who knows… Maybe we'll find a way to create "Fossa Ambiences" too and meet them again…"

"I wouldn't mind, sir… Yet I'm sad that Beyondard's Colonel had to sacrifice himself for everyone's sake too…"

"True… Too many sacrifices already…"

18:29 PM (Japan Time)…

"… So? Where does the Mistress wanna go next?"

"Who knows?"

Charlie Airstar was confronting Tesla Magnets while inside of his apartment's living room: Tesla was sitting on the sofa and flipping through a magazine which suggested trips to the Seychelles Islands: she seemed to be ignoring Airstar's presence.

_This girl…_

Airstar, on the other hand, was standing in front of her while looking unimpressed.

"You do."

"Oh boy…" Gyro Man muttered in a resigned tone.

"… This does not look good." Magnet Man muttered.

Gauss Magnets came in with the vacuum cleaner.

"… Father sees there will be a discussion!" He muttered loud enough to be heard over the noise.

"… I've decided!" Tesla announced.

"Yeah? Where to, then?" Charlie dully asked.

"Victoria, Seychelles! They say it's exotic!" She exclaimed.

"Oho! Should I begin to arrange everything, Tesla?" Gauss ran up next to her and looked thrilled.

"Please do so, Father." Tesla smiled.

Airstar merely rolled his eyes and seemed to have been expecting this.

"I knew it." Gyro Man told him.

"It was predictable, even." Magnet Man added.

"Ho, ho, ho, ho! To the Seychelles we go!" Tesla laughed.

18:47 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Battle Chip, Mega Cannon! Slot In!"

"Mega Cannon!"

"Uack!"

"Crap!"

Sakurai Meiru had been taking part in a Net Battle inside of the "Game Soul" Game Center and Roll EXE had shot a Mega Cannon blast at one standard Navi, thus logging defeating them.

"YOU WIN!" The machine announced.

"Heh, heh, heh! I'm becoming stronger!" Meiru giggled.

"Yeah, Meiru – chan!" Roll giggled.

"Man. This is the last time I go by the _cliché_." The Operator muttered.

Meiru walked away while humming a tune and spotted someone familiar using another Net Battling Machine: Hikawa Tooru.

"Ice Man! Go for it!" He exclaimed.

"Okay, desu! Blizzard!"

He blew out snow towards a Curse Shield Virus and froze it up just as it was about to attack Ice Man.

"Battle Chip, Zeus Hammer! Slot In!"

"Zeus Hammer!"

Ice Man hit the block of ice and it shattered, exposing the Virus to attack given its momentary paralysis: the hit from the Zeus Hammer deleted it and Ice Man landed on the ground.

"Yeah! We did it!" Hikawa exclaimed.

"Hey! Tooru – kun!" Meiru greeted.

"Ah! Meiru – chan! What's up?" He greeted with a smile.

"Training?" Meiru asked.

"Yup! I want to be able to fight back any Virus attack!"

"You have a good strategy, Ice Man!" Roll told him.

"T-thanks, Roll – san…" He blushed a bit.

"Say! Have you seen Netto?" Meiru asked.

"Netto – kun? No. But I wouldn't be surprised if he drops by later on. We sometimes parry together."

"Okay! I'll be going home: I have a piano lesson to take care of. See you on Monday, Tooru – kun!" Meiru told him.

"Good –bye!"

Meiru walked out of the Game Center and hummed a tune.

"But, really, Dekao – kun… He'll never tire of claiming he wants to protect with "Cross Fusion" when I can do that perfectly enough… Jeez." Meiru sighed in defeat.

"I know, Meiru – chan. I prefer to tag with Saito – kun to him. Last time it happened, way back in September, 2004, it almost ended up in disaster as we tried to tackle Fire Man."

"Yeah, I remember…"

"MEIRU – CHA~N!" Dekao suddenly showed up on-screen.

"Go to the Bahamas." She grinned.

"NO WAY~!"

"DEKAO! Do you want to anger me in purpose?"

"M-master!"

"COOK THE CURRY NOW! OR ELSE YOU'RE FIRED!"

"NO WAY~! MEIRU – CHA~N!"

"Shut up already and do us a favor, Dekao – kun."

18:52 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Good! This new style suits ya, Nenjiro!"

"I AIN'T "NENJIRO"!"

"Hot, hot!"

Rokushadama Nenji had overseen some fireworks simulations done by Napalm Man and had praised him: Napalm Man, as usual, didn't like the nickname, so he started to burn up and heated up Rokushadama's Link PET.

"I'm NAPALM MAN!" He exclaimed.

"But that's too impersonal! Nenjiro is way better!" Nenji protested.

"Che! Stubborn guy." He grumbled.

"Come on! Be reasonable, Nenjiro!" Nenji insisted.

"Reasonable, the guy says! Hah! Then try thinking of somethin' for five minutes without gettin' a headache or your brain goin' up in smoke! Ya jerk!" Napalm Man challenged.

"Wha~t?"

"Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah!"

"OI! NENJIRO! BEHAVE ALREADY, WILL YA~?"

"SHADDUP!"

"Wha~t?"

"Square root of 16!" Napalm Man challenged.

"Huh… Square root? What's that? A root in the form of a square?"

"Hah, hah, hah, hah, ha, hah, hah!"

"OI! What's that about?"

"It's 4, ya jerk! Even Rock Man's Operator knows that much! I win! Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah!"

18:57 PM (Japan Time)…

"… And here's the place."

"Hum…"

The building was an abandoned house: Meijin signaled the basement trapdoor the lock of which had been broken in a very clumsy way.

"Looks like Bubble Man alright."

They climbed down the stairs and Meijin took out a flashlight.

"… The "Copy Roids" are down here, then? Meijin – san?" Netto asked as they climbed down the stairs.

"_San_. _Wa_. _Iranai_." Meijin sighed in defeat.

"I guess he means "yeah"." Rock Man ventured.

"Here we are… Be careful!" Meijin whispered.

He slowly opened a rusted steel door and illuminated the next room: six "Copy Roids" were standing and leaning against the far wall like if they were dolls: there was nothing else to be seen.

The "Copy Roids" were doll-like objects about a meter and fifty tall and looked very simplistic human frames of no specified sex: their "skin" was made of a grayish material.

The arms ended in small spheres instead of hands and had no care to details like the legs: the chest had a small metallic circle set on it with three metallic trapezes forming at the north, SE and SW spots of the structure and having a small dome-shaped emerald jewel set in the concave cavity inside of it.

"Sure look like the real thing…"

"Check them out, Netto – kun."

Netto walked over to one of them and began to examine it while frowning and looking unsettled for some reason or another: Meijin was nervously looking around as if expecting a trap.

"… Hey… Is it me or they have a strong smell?" He asked.

"… True… I hadn't noticed it the first time…" Meijin muttered.

Netto tried tugging one doll's right arm and it suddenly came out.

"Whoa!"

He looked inside of it: it was empty and it was actually made of _papier-mâché_.

"These dolls aren't real! They're just _papier-mâché_ imitations!" Netto grasped.

"Yeah! I couldn't feel their cores' signatures, either!" Rock Man added.

"Bubble Man… What a fright he gave me! He keeps on being the same square-headed "Darkloid"!" Meijin sounded relieved and was smiling.

"The guy won't change!" Netto shrugged and laughed.

"Yup. He's a stubborn one." Rock Man added.

"Sorry to have bothered you in vain…" Meijin apologized.

"Don't worry, Mei – jin – san!" Netto grinned.

"I give up…" He grimly muttered.

"Don't be so defeatist, Meijin – san!" Rock Man encouraged.

"So? What do we do?" Netto asked.

"Hum… Wait here a minute. I want to check out the house. You never know: Bubble Man might come in and attack anyone who enters the basement." Meijin suggested while scratching the back of his head.

"Leave it to us! If Bubble Man shows his hide around, we'll have him run away to Ameroupe!" Netto grinned.

"And he'll know that Detective Meijin – san found him out!" Rock Man improvised a joke.

"… You guys win…" Meijin grimly muttered.

He headed out and Netto turned on his Link PET's flashlight to check on the rest of the dolls: they were also _papier-mâché _imitations.

"That Bubble Man… Who was he expecting to fool, anyway?" Netto wondered aloud with a grin.

"He must've been hoping to catch a desperate guy who'll buy them in a rush and then run off with the money." Saito suggested with obvious amusement.

"Yeah. That'd be his style." Netto agreed on it.

He finished checking the fake dolls and then stood up, stretching and letting out a yawn.

"Fua~h…"

He rubbed his eyes afterwards: he looked sleepy.

"Netto – kun? Otouto? Are you okay?" Saito asked with a hint of concern given his face.

"Y-yeah… I just… stayed up… late… thinking… about… Net Battles…" Netto replied while barely repressing some yawns.

"That's no good, otouto!" Saito told him.

"I knew… that… even if… you hadn't… told me…! I'm just… sleepy… wanna… sleep…" Netto replied.

"No. It's not time to sleep, Netto – kun. Besides… Weren't we gonna go to the Game Center and parry with Tooru – kun and Ice Man?" Saito reminded him.

"Y-yeah… Tooru… kun… and…" Netto muttered.

He suddenly collapsed into the ground atop the imitation dolls.

"Ah! Netto – kun! Meijin – san! Please come ASAP!" Saito gasped and began to call out.

He didn't notice a tall and ominous unidentified figure silently heading towards him from behind.

_Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…_

The figure suddenly closed the right arm around Saito's neck and used the right hand to muffle his yells.

_W-who…?_ Saito wondered.

Before he could think of fighting back or trying to identify his attacker, the figure's left hand gripped his chest emblem and provoked an electrical discharge which spread all across Saito's body.

_T-this guy is forcing me into sleep mode…!_

He suddenly lost consciousness and his body became limp: the figure let go and he collapsed into his PET's space ground.

"Heh." The figure muttered with a smug smile on its face.

It suddenly disappeared and appeared on the real world next to the unconscious Netto.

"… Heh… It's been a while. Whatever… This experiment is gonna be thrilling. Strategy Trap: Success." The figure muttered in an amused tone.

He picked Netto up and placed him over his right shoulder before stepping out of the basement while chuckling under its breath.

_Fear and Terror are just starting!_

He climbed up and headed inside of a van: he opened the cargo bay and immobilized Netto's wrists and ankles with cello-tape: he placed one over his eyes and another over his mouth next before seating him on the seat and fastening the seat-belt.

_Good. _Happy dreams, my half-brothers_... _

The culprit climbed into the driver's seat and turned on the van before booting up a black and gray Link PET with no emblem whatsoever: a GPS map popped out.

_Yes… I've fooled the damned traitor who's relaxed and recalled the vigilance on them… Heh, heh, heh, heh… I win!_


	2. Chapter 2: Revenge

**Chapter 2: Revenge**

19:20 PM (Japan Time), Friday April the 30th…

"… And what did cha do with the key for this door, then?"

"Hell if I know! I had it on my pocket ten minutes ago…"

Netto blinked: he felt all dizzy and blurry.

_W-what…? What happened to me?_

He tried to move but found his arms to be immobilized and in a vertical position.

_N-no way!_

He tried the legs but both of them were tied together with something which felt like cello-tape.

_I can't see anything!_

He noticed that his t-shirt and orange sleeveless vest were missing as well leaving his upper body naked.

_I've been abducted! There's no other explanation! Ah! Saito – niisan! What happened to him? Niisan! Can you hear me?_ Netto grasped before calling out for Saito.

_Netto – kun…? Ah… I feel dizzy._ Saito sluggishly replied.

_Where are you? _

_Huh! I can't move and I can't see! My arms have been lifted and my legs immobilized. I have something covering the whole of my head and the upper torso part of my bodysuit is missing! _Saito reported with obvious fear on his voice.

_But… I don't understand it, then! Meijin – san was with us, wasn't he? Or there was more than one bad guy? _

_You suddenly fell asleep! I tried calling out for help but someone grabbed me from behind and force me into sleep mode… I'm still inside of the PET! _

_Can you call for help?_

_No good! We have zero EM wave coverage! We've gotta be underground, then… _

_What do they want, then? Ransom…? _Netto wondered.

_Dunno…_ Saito admitted.

_I hope someone comes to rescue us!_ Netto hoped.

"… Screw keys and spare keys! I'm going to blast it open." One voice grumbled close by.

"How will cha do that? This is reinforced steel…" Another voice asked with obvious surprise.

Netto frowned when hearing two muffled voices somewhere close to him so he moved the head towards the direction.

_Are those the kidnappers, then? _Netto guessed.

_They sound like one of them lost the key for this room… _Saito ventured.

_And the door is reinforced steel, too! I dunno how they plan on opening it up, then. _Netto wondered.

_You'd need a heavy object or an expert in locks, I guess…_ Saito guessed next.

"Vicious Fire!"

There was a sound which resembled a streak of flames burning up something: Netto began to pick up the smell of molten steel and tried to breathe through the mouth instead.

_W-whoa! They're actually melting the keyhole! _

… "_Vicious Fire"… Haven't we heard that somewhere before? _Saito ventured.

"A~h! W-what are ya?" Someone asked while sounding terrified.

"… Need Not to Know." A cool voice sentenced.

"Y-yeah! I'll shut up, _Boss_!" The man quickly replied.

"T-this guy's no joke!" A heavy voice gasped.

_Maybe one of them has just begun working for the Boss…? But why did the guy ask "what are ya"? Isn't it just a person using a flamethrower? _Netto wondered.

_But those manly voices… I have a feeling like I've heard them before! Let's try to be calm: if we get fear, then they win! We won't lose to bad guys, right, Netto - kun!_ Saito tried to encourage.

_Yeah! I won't get afraid to the likes of 'em!_

SLAM!

A metallic door slammed against a wall very close by.

"See? I opened it." The cool voice announced.

"But cha… _melted_… the keyhole and handle…" The first voice sounded dumbfounded.

"Who cares?" The voice shot back.

"Are cha sure that this basement is really sound-proof…?" The first voice sounded like it has its doubts.

"… Wanna give it up?" The voice questioned with a hint of menace.

"N-no! I've come so far… Only a fool would give it up!" The man quickly replied while sounding afraid.

"Y-yeah…! I… won't give it up, either…!" The heavy voice also added.

"Good! Remember: when I say "stop", you'll stop and leave. Do you understand me?" The commanding voice questioned.

"Y-yeah, _Boss_!" The man gasped.

"_D-danna _is in charge in 'ere!" The heavy voice affirmed.

… _Yeah. They're starting to ring a bell somewhere… Maybe it's a bad guy whom we defeated in the past and they're seeking revenge?_

_That wouldn't surprise me… Enzan did warn us that we "Net Saviors" harbor many enemies…_ Saito ventured.

"… It's been a while! Eh, Hikari Netto?"

_Inukai Takeo!_ Netto inwardly gasped.

"_Asteroid" Beast Man's Operator: a "Neo WWW" member! But Umbra erased all of their memories afterwards! _

_He shouldn't remember about us!_

"… Oh… Yeah… True, true… That "Umbra" jerk erased our memories, but _Boss_ 'ere restored 'em…" Inukai admitted.

_What!_ Netto gasped.

_If he could restore his memories, then…!_

"Gra~h! You lowlife! I'm so gonna have my payback on you, gnat!" The heavy voice exclaimed: its voice seemed to come out of Netto's own Link PET.

_Beast Man! _Saito gasped in horror.

_No way! Who the hell is this "Boss" guy? _Netto gasped.

"It's been a while! My… _Half-brothers_."

_Yoru Yami! _Netto gasped.

_Twilight! _Saito gasped.

"Surprised…? Oh. I see! K. S. didn't bother to leak out. And Forte and Freeze Man didn't, either. Interesting! But I've risen again thanks to the Lazarus Pit…! Kidding. That only works on mortals." Yoru Yami sounded amused.

_Mister K. S. knew and he didn't tell us! _Netto gasped yet gain.

_Why didn't Forte tell us, either? He can be somewhat selfish sometimes! _

"Hum… Mr. Yami… Should we begin?" Inukai slowly asked him while sounding somewhat unsure.

"Yeah. Remember: I'll tell you when to stop." Yami told him.

"… Heh. This is my revenge, Hikari Netto! I'll make sure to engrave it within cha flesh and body…" Inukai sounded eager and sinister by now.

_W-what the hell!_ Netto thought while feeling a visceral fear creep into him.

"Hah! You lowlife shall experience ultimate pain!" Beast Man roared.

_No good!_

TCHAC!

"Grah!"

Netto had felt something hit his naked back and leave a mark on it: he let out a muffled cry.

_W-whip…! That whip he used to control the animals…! Inukai is whipping my back…! This is why… they removed my clothes…! _Netto hissed.

"Grah! A~h!" Saito yelled over the speaker of his Link PET.

_Grah! Be-Beast Man is… using his claws to… leave cuts and scars on my chest…! The pain…! _Saito was barely holding back his cries of agony.

TCHAC! TCHAC! TCHAC!

"Groah! Gah! A~h!" Netto yelled.

"Gu… Gua~h!" Saito agonized.

"… Stop!" Yami commanded.

"… What… I was starting to have fun!" Inukai growled.

"… Maybe you wish to experience how fun it is to be dropped down from an airplane 10 kilometers high in the air?" Yami icily told him.

"Ah…! I'm sorry, _Boss_!" Inukai gasped.

"Mr. Beast Man! Didn't you hear me? Or you're wishing to wander the Afterworld forever?" Yami questioned with a hint of anger.

There was the sound of a Navi transfer.

"N-no,_ Danna_! I'm satisfied!" Beast Man quickly replied.

"Hmpf! Good. Your role is over. You'll find five millions in your bank account. They should be enough." Yami told them.

"F-five millions…!" Inukai gasped.

"… Remove yourself from my sight before I think it twice." Yami warned in a menacing tone of voice.

"R-roger! Have at cha! Hikari Netto!"

"Farewell, gnat!"

There was the sound of rushed footsteps running away before they died down: Netto and Saito were panting and trying to recover their breaths while handling the pain at the same time.

_It's o-over? _Netto wondered.

_The pain…! It'll chase me… forever…! _Saito groaned.

"… Heh. The pawns are gone. So! Let's get moving into the 2nd Stage."

_W-what? The 2__nd__ Stage…?_

_T-this was just one part of it…? _Saito gasped.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… Let terror and fear rule over you guys' bodies… Open the floodgates… And let the "Dark Side" flow in to take over you!" He exclaimed.

"D-don't screw us, you _Star Wars_ freak…" Netto grumbled aloud.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…"

"Duo should've killed you!"

"That big fucker only killed a _bunshin_ led to believe they were the authentic Twilight! I was on the Moon Base. Heh, heh, heh…"

_N-no good…!_

19:29 PM (Japan Time)…

"… My. Vice President – sama is here."

"… Very funny."

Enzan had come to the "Game Soul" Game Center and had happened to stumbled upon Laika, who'd greeted him with a smile and a joke: Enzan looked at him with a skeptical look.

"So? Why are you here?" Enzan asked.

"I was looking for Netto. One of his companions told me he might drop by here." Laika admitted.

"What a coincidence. I wanted to show him my new security upgrade."

"What? Are you pretending I can mind-read?" Laika asked.

"Who knows, Soldier – sama?" Enzan teased.

"Very funny." Laika put up his unimpressed face.

"That's more like you." Enzan grinned.

"… Blues. Is your master really fond of teasing?" Search Man asked of him with a hint of annoyance.

"So it'd seem." Blues shrugged.

"You've been busy?" Search Man asked.

"More or less. I'm in charge of security over at IPC." Blues admitted with a shrug of the shoulders.

"True. So? Have you made any progress?" Search Man suddenly asked in a hushed tone.

"What do you mean?" Blues seemed to frown under the shades.

"Regarding Saito and you…" Search Man was now smiling.

"… Who told you?" Blues questioned.

"I guessed." Search Man replied.

"… I haven't made any moves yet. I'd rather wait for the summer holidays." Blues admitted in a hushed tone.

"I see." Search Man sounded intrigued.

"… Anyway… I don't like waiting a lot, so… I'm gonna call Netto to see if he's gonna drop by here or not." Enzan was telling Laika.

"Okay." Laika shrugged.

"Blues! Contact Saito." He commanded.

"Roger, Enzan – sama."

Blues tried to open up a connection.

"The number you are trying to reach is either switched off, out of battery, or out of coverage. Please try again later."

"… Weird." Blues muttered.

"Let me try it instead, Laika - sama." Search Man requested.

"Go ahead." Laika authorized.

Search Man tried to do the same thing but with no success: he got the same message.

"… There aren't any spots without signal around here. I have a bad feeling about this." Blues announced aloud.

"… Yeah. I get the same feeling, too." Enzan admitted.

"Hum…" Laika brought a hand to his chin.

They didn't spot the man with the sunglasses spying on them from within a mass of crowd gathered around a nearby Net Battling Machine.

_What! Ah! The rascal! I knew it: they can't be trusted! They've made a move and come back to Japan! The son of a…! That happens to me for relaxing the watch over them: I wanted to stir up some confusion in the underworld. Let's help them out! I_

He drew his PET and wrote something with the touch-pen.

_Good. Dispatching!_

Both Laika's and Enzan's PETs beeped.

"Enzan – sama: mail."

"Laika – sama: mail."

"Open it." Both commanded.

"Roger."

Both read at the identical mail:

"Akihara City. District 4. 27. B1F. K. S."

Both gasped and looked around but the man had already departed the premises.

"… K. S. tipped us off… This guy used to be Yoru Yami's Cousin, so his info is reliable because he opposes him. He knows a lot we don't." Enzan told Laika.

"And I guess a place to start looking for hints is there." Laika guessed.

"What do we do, Enzan – sama?" Blues asked.

"Let's go there! Laika! Come with me. You and Search Man might be able to pick off something we can't." Enzan told him.

"I agree. We've gotta find out what happened to Netto." Laika agreed on that.

"We should be going, then, Laika – sama?" Search Man asked.

"Yeah. Be ready for anything." Laika commanded.

"Roger."

Both "Net Saviors" ran out of the building and headed towards the place indicated in the mail.

_Mr. Meijin filed a report about something being in that address so I guess it's the first place one should check out._

19:32 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Gospel Shuryou. I have received a tip-off."

"What's it about? Freeze Man."

Freeze Man was kneeling in front of his superior's blurry image while inside of the snow-covered base: a tall diamond-like about five meters tall structure hovered five centimeters over the ground behind him and the Cyber World was filled with snow: a blizzard blew through it.

"… "K. S." issued us with an address. But it does not have any Cyber World close by. I cannot check it out myself." Freeze Man reported.

"… If he bothered to, then it must be important. I'll go myself. Anyone would think I'm just an _anime otaku_, anyway." Gospel shrugged.

"Roger, Shuryou. What should I do?" Freeze Man asked.

"… Hum… Patrol the district." Gospel commanded.

"Yes, sir! By your orders…" Freeze Man acknowledged.

"And remember what we discussed. I feel like chances for our rising are decreasing over time and just the two of us won't manage much. Maybe we should change our philosophy altogether."

"I shall follow any commands."

"Alright. But try to be somewhat more open-minded like Search Man or Blues, will you? I don't need a fanatic."

"Roger, sir."

Gospel shut off the screen and came out of the Kyutenpa Research Lab main building while humming a tune.

_Well. I've been relying in the Science Labs' reports about what happened in Beyondard back in December but ever since that we've had an active role: I hope nothing has happened to Rock Man and Hikari, though… The underworld's been buzzing too much for my taste as of late… Could Twilight be involved somehow? Let devil bite me if I'm wrong…!_


	3. Chapter 3: Necros and Nox

**Chapter 3: Necros and Nox**

19:35 PM (Japan Time), Friday April the 30th…

"… The 2nd Stage… Heh, heh, heh… You two shall… become Sith Apprentices!"

_Sith Apprentices… That's ripped off from the _Star Wars _films!_

_He means to say we'll turn "evil"? But we're not going to be as stupid as to let anger dominate us! _Saito argued.

"… I can guess your thoughts. You won't do that of your own will: that's impossible. However! There's one way: using a tool." Yami told them.

_A tool…? Wait. That rings a bell somewhere…!_

_Tool… Evil… It couldn't be…!_ Saito gasped.

"… "Dark Synchro Chip"!" Yami announced.

"_Dark Synchro Chip"…!_ Both gasped in horror.

Netto felt how Yami rummaged in his shorts' right pocket and took out his Link PET.

_Don't lay your dirty hands in my PET!_

Netto suddenly felt how it was pressing against his naked chest and yet holding in place: a string had been attached to it to hang it from Netto's neck.

"Heh, heh, heh… This "Dark Synchro Chip" is tuned so that the EM Waves it emits stimulate your brain in manner which makes live control through a device of my own possible… It's not permanent, obviously enough, but it'll do for the few hours it's supposed to work."

"D-don't do that!"

"You coward! Fight like a man!" Saito challenged.

"Too bad. But my energies are being saved to dispatch the damned traitor… Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… Slot In! Cross Fusion!"

Yami inserted the "Dark Synchro Chip" into Netto's Link PET.

"NO!"

A burst of purple light came out of the Link PET as it turned into data and the energy release was powerful enough to destroy the leather bag, the ropes and the cello tape.

"Gra~h!" Both roared in agony.

The light dimmed and "CF" Netto's form could be seen standing there with his head lowered: the body had been colored purple and black and his chest emblem replaced with a purple skull and crossbones: he was panting.

"… Huff… Huff… Heh… Heh, heh… Yeah… Being the bad guy… is cool… Master…" He muttered with a different tune of voice before he lifted his gaze: his eyes were now red.

_Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… The program is dictating what they're going to think and say through electrical stimulation of the brain…_

He then set his gaze on Yami.

Yami was about a meter and ninety and height.

He had neatly combed blonde hair while his eyes' irises were crimson red in coloring: his face looked young so he probably wasn't older than twenty-five years old: he had almost no trace of facial hair to him.

He sported a plain black suit over a white shirt and a pair of black pants: his socks were black too and he wore brownish shoes.

He currently had that same black and gray Link PET on his right hand and was looking at some graphs displayed over the holographic screen which seemed to be records of brain activity.

"Good. Put those on." Yami commanded.

"Roger."

_Heh. I'm a genius. Too bad, "K. S."… _

He signaled an open case in the ground: it had a white shirt, a purple-colored sleeveless vest and a black bandana with the skull and crossbones emblem drawn into it.

"… Cross Out!"

The "Cross Fusion" was released and the evil Netto picked the Link PET. He spotted that a new carcass had been set over it: it was colored black and purple and its emblem was the ominous skull and crossbones.

"Ah… By the way! You two now answer to the codenames of Necros and Nox. Do you understand me?" Yami told them.

"… I do, Master." Necros confirmed.

The Navi came out with the hologram projector: he looked similar to the late Umbra but his color palette was purple and black instead: he had that same ominous emblem and red eyes as well.

"Count on us, Master." Nox added.

Necros picked the clothing and put it on.

"Pick that attaché case." Yami commanded.

He picked an adjacent attaché case and opened it: it was full of "Dark Chips": they looked like first-gen "Dark Chips" but they had the same ominous drawing painted beneath the dome.

"… I must spread these, Master?" Necros guessed.

"Yeah. I'll be timing your performance." Yami dully replied.

"… Roger. Let's go, Nox."

"Yeah. We have a job to do."

Necros calmly walked out while carrying the case and Yami put up a smug smile.

"Heh... This will prove that the "Light" can indeed be mastered by the "Dark"… Can you stop me this time around, you damned traitor? Heh, heh, heh, heh… Bwah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah!"

19:41 PM (Japan Time)…

"… This is the place "K. S." tipped us about…"

"Let's check it out."

Enzan and Laika had reached the abandoned house and they climbed down into the basement: they found the pile of disarrayed "Copy Roids" and a small electrical fan set on the ground.

"That fan looks out of place." Enzan commented.

"Yeah. Search Man! Perform an IR scan." Laika commanded.

"Roger, Laika – sama."

Search Man engaged his scanner and studied the environment for a while before disengaging it.

"… Laika – sama. There are minimal traces of a sleeping gas in the air along with industrial glue. I guess the fan is to purge it out. I can't calculate how much of it there was, but I suspect the industrial glue was to hide the sleeping gas' smell." He reported.

"I see. And these could be masked as being Bubble Man's own handiwork." Blues guessed.

"Bubble Man…? You mean the only surviving "Darkloid" who found Trill and brought him to us?" Laika asked.

"Yeah! He'd been trying to build his own "Copy Roids "so it wouldn't be surprising if he attempted to sell this stuff to someone out of desperation to gather money." Enzan guessed.

"I see. This smell is certainly strong enough to force you to breathe through the mouth. Thus you wouldn't have picked up the sleeping gas' smell at all." Laika realized.

Enzan spotted something between two of the dolls so he crouched to pick it up: it was a key with an attached label which had the text "Drawer set spare key. Property of Hikari Netto." written into it so he gasped upon realization.

"… I see! Netto was brought here and abducted using this subtle trick, then… That's how it was. We're pending finding out the culprit, the motive and his current location." Enzan guessed.

"What? Hikari's been abducted, you say?" A surprised voice asked.

They turned around to spot Gospel on the room's threshold.

"Who's that guy? Meijin picked up an _otaku_ disguise?" Laika wondered.

"Nope. That's Forte." Enzan corrected.

"But that ain't a "Copy Roid", right?" Laika asked.

"No. It was originally an autonomous robot named Gospel Shuryou which was used by Wily to lead Gospel while he healed and tried to rebuild Pharaoh Man's broken "Ultimate Program". Wily shut it down but Forte somehow found it and took it." Enzan explained.

"Good recap, Ijuuin!" Forte sounded amused.

"What are you doing here, then?" Laika asked.

"Well! "K. S." tipped me off." He admitted.

"What a coincidence! He tipped us off as well and thus we came here to check it out." Enzan admitted.

"So? Who's the culprit?" Forte asked.

"We don't know yet." Search Man admitted.

"One thing is clear: he is fond of subtleness and staging complicated traps." Blues let out.

"Why?" Gospel asked.

"… These dolls emit a strong industrial glue smell to hide a sleeping gas build-up in the room. It forces you to breathe through your mouth, so you can't pick up the smell. And this is how Netto was caught." Enzan summarized.

"Che! Bothersome grunts." Forte grumbled.

"Yeah. Something tells me the culprit disguised as someone familiar to Netto and then lured him here by telling him he needed a hand or something along those lines." Laika ventured.

"… Taking into account Saito's nature to help anyone in need… It must have been powerful bait." Blues guessed aloud.

"But we're stuck. And I'm not sure if K. S. knows more which he is unwilling to disclose." Forte told them.

"… Anyway! Let's split and check out suspicious underground spots just in case."

"Roger."

The group came out into the surface and Enzan's PET suddenly beeped to signal an incoming call.

"ENZA~N!"

"Dekao? What now?"

"I WANNA DO "CROSS FUSION" AND…!"

"DE – KA – O!"

"YIKES! MASTER!"

"Dekao! You moron!" Hinoken grumbled.

"Yikes! Master Hinoken too!"

"Will cha behave already?"

"Yikes! Mistress Madoi!"

"_You boy! _Don't behave like a _fool_!"

"Master Count Elec!"

"COOK THE CURRY~!" They all yelled.

"By all the… Ooyama doesn't get it?" Forte cursed.

"AT ALL!" Enzan fumed.

19:48 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…"

Yami climbed into the van and brought up a print-out with some text on it which he began to read.

"Amusing! To think Professor Septimus suggested about this as far as the 1920s but the age's medics and researchers were too arrogant to accept what was an overwhelming reality! But let's first check on our two "assets" which I save up for a future project…"

He opened the glove compartment and took out a notebook laptop which he booted up.

"Since they're actually stored in the "cloud" then I don't need too much HDD space and this thing is enough to check on them… Let's see: "Asset S" is untouched and seems to be stable. That powerful scan device I used on them a while ago works fine enough. It'll be amusing to turn them into my servant instead and use their overwhelming power!" He grinned.

He then typed "ASSET U" into the keyboard and brought up a status window displaying some numbers with different headers.

"Good. No worries here. I synchronized their body with this server so that their very last memories would be there… But I can always set some tricks into their mindset… In case they tried to play smart everything would backfire on them… Let's give them a chance in the "scenario" I'm thinking of tackling…" He muttered.

He then brought up the print-out and began to read it aloud.

"… "Let's regress to the year 1920… By then, skipping ahead of that era's researchers, I'd drawn a hypothesis which - setting humbleness apart -could be labeled as brilliant: a theory about the workings of the human brain. As you might know, that viscus is made up by millions of cells we label neurons, which gather in nervous centers. These guarantee the correct functioning of sight, hearing, speaking, movements and such. These centers emit and receive electrical signals." … So true. Bravo, Professor."

He made a pause in which he looked up another thing on his PC which seemed to be some high-orbit photos of a desert-like planet which wasn't Mars because it lacked the reddish tint to its atmosphere.

"… Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… Yes… That place will be an optimal operational center… Anyway… "As an example: when you get burnt, the burning sensation is transferred from the epidermis to the brain in the form of an electrical current, which will be transformed with its correspondent pain sensation." … Another true fact, Prof!"

The PET beeped and he quickly began to adjust the graphs being displayed on-screen.

"This has to be calibrated from time to time or else the effects of the "Dark Synchro Chip" will eventually decay and disappear altogether: this model isn't intended to alter the Navi's data clusters, either. It's just intended to synch their minds and allow for me to create a feedback circuit which will receive my thoughts and orders I emit and then have them act upon those."

He checked the photos again and grinned: another set of photos displayed a large spheroid-like structure floating in the midst of the air and being built: it seemed to be some base or facility.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh… Then I'll build the "settings" and prepare the "enemies" and "bosses"… It'll be amusing. _Kyoudai!_ That "alternate self" of yours will figure out how powerful I am. But just in case I'll save up an ace in the sleeve. Heh, heh, heh…"

He switched screens to the graphs and calibrated them again: a spike suddenly showed up and he lifted his eyebrows.

"They still are putting up some desperate struggle… Whatever: they're too weakened to properly fight my will… "It works just like the phone in which the voice is turned into electrical pulses, transports them across the wire, and then transforms them back into their original form! And it's also the same system the brain uses, in the inverse manner, to send its orders across the body. That's well-known. But across my researches I reached a conclusion." … And what would that be? Heh, heh, heh."

He typed into the computer and this time images of "Asteroids" and "Darkloids" showed up there plus the blackened silhouettes of some unknown Navis.

"The "Beyondard" Net Navis will be useful too… And I can easily recreate some of the deleted "Darkloids" and "Asteroids" too… Shade Man, though… Yes. I scanned them back when their "comeback"… And what a show it'll be! Will those guys be able to make it through alive or die in the attempt? Heh, heh, heh… "… The direction and control of these phenomena are done by a wave which is emitted by the superior brain-waves generator, AKA human mind. I decided to give the name "Mega Wave" to that particular wave. This Mega Wave is constantly moving from one center to another like a projector, stimulating or halting thirst, hunger, pain and such on…" … Bravo!"

BEEP – BEEP – BEEP!

"More spikes… Guess I'll have to put some effort into it… Let's increase the output frequency of the programs installed on Rock Man and make sure they stay under my control for another few minutes. I know it won't last even 60 minutes but whatever. That's but a piece of a very clever strategy I've come up with!"

He drew the silhouette of an EM wave and set a frequency to it: the graphs began to stabilize soon enough.

"Huff. What else? Ah. Yes, yes… "… So! The control of senses depends on the Mega Wave's power. In a book I wrote (using a nickname, fortunately enough) I added this key observation: "whoever can capture and control the Mega Wave of a certain individual would become master of all their psychic activity and would make of them a very powerful and docile tool!", you see!" … Heh, heh, heh. True. And that's what I've done, Professor… I can control their instincts and thoughts from afar although it's far from perfect but whatever…"

He turned on the van and began to move towards a spot which showed up on a GPS map: he hummed a tune.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…"

The van soon parked near the "Game Soul" Game Center's rear and Yami put on a pair of sunglasses: he shut the laptop and stored it on the glove compartment while he picked the PET and brought imagery which seemed to be relayed by someone's eyes of the main room.

"Necros! Nox! This is your target. Wait until someone comes in and then grant them the tools… Move out to the next Game Center."

"… Roger, Mas… Uack! Hell! Like I'd be your puppet!"

"Un-huh! We won't lose to the… likes of you!"

"It's pointless to resist! I control your instincts and movements: I can turn you into literal puppets whenever I feel like it. This is but a prelude before the main act." He replied through the PET.

"Ugh! Hruh! Grah! Ack! Huff, huff… Roger, Master…"

"As you desire…"

"Good."

Yami stepped down from the van and locked it up while he climbed up the emergency stairs.

"Heh. Ms. Yuriko ran off through these when he tried to lure them into a trap to use a "Dark Chip" way back in February or March, 2005. And today I'm coming in through it… Fitting! Truly fitting!"

He opened the door and exited into a corridor near the main room: he heard a toilet flushing and the sound of a faucet being opened: a drier turned on next before "Necros" came out while clutching his forehead with the left hand and carrying the suitcase on the right: Yami silently smiled and looked.

_If you're nearby, "K. S.", then… Witness! At your own powerless! You lowlife are powerless, truly powerless! Let despair, anger, hatred and revenge seize you and come at me to be buried! You loathsome traitor to "IQ – sama"! _

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…!"

19:53 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Nothing yet, Enzan?"

"No, Laika."

"I didn't find anything either. I'm having Freeze Man patrol around and look up if there any witnesses."

Enzan was rushing down a street while checking with Laika and Forte who didn't have any new info either.

"Enzan – sama, sir. I checked the closest Cyber World of a traffic light but no cars passed through there so they went through the residential streets skipping main roads altogether, sir."

"I see. They wanted to avoid their vehicle spotted: let devil bite me if it wasn't a van of any kind." Enzan grumbled.

"It could be, sir, but without any further hints…"

"It _is_ a van. I found some imprints close by and photographed them: I've forwarded them to the forensics departments of the general police to see if we can narrow it down." Search Man interjected.

"At least we know that much but at the same time it really doesn't help: all kinds of vans carrying deliveries and such could've showed up all day long around there." Laika sighed.

"Chut! Freeze Man's calling. Stay quiet."

"… Shuryou, sir. The "Net Saviors" are running the same investigation on what seems to be Hikari Netto's and Rock Man's abduction…"

"Don't mind them, Freeze Man! I need solid info."

"As you order. A witness saw a non-descript Toyota blue van parking near an abandoned house but in angle which made it hard to see from their location… It's moved out towards the city center."

"Good! Let's converge on the center and find that van! Move it!"

_Hold on, Netto! I, Enzan, am gonna rescue you!_


	4. Chapter 4: Climax

**Chapter 4: Climax**

19:57 PM (Japan Time), Friday April the 30th…

"… Hell! Why couldn't I win? I need a more powerful Chip…"

A boy walked away from one of the duel machines, frustrated.

"Here! Have this thing."

The boy turned around to see "Necros" offering him a Neo Variable Sword Battle Chip while Yami looked on from close by: the boy gulped.

"… Don't worry! I'm just an _otaku_ guy using contacts." The guy reassured him.

"Ah! Hum… Thanks, niichan!" The boy told him.

"If anyone asks then say that the Demon Tribe Soldier gave it to you." He told him in a hushed tone.

"Okay, niichan!"

The boy ran off upstairs while "K. S." came down: he spotted him leaving followed by Yami and made a grimace.

"Cousin…!" He hissed.

He ran after them and suddenly gripped Yami from behind: the guy didn't try to counter and instead formed a smug smile.

"Kanou Shade! Been a while." He taunted.

"What have you done now?" He demanded.

"Ask Professor Jonathan Septimus."

"An accomplice of yours?"

"Nope. My inspiration. Use the "Past Tunnel" and travel back to the 1950s London."

"Hah, hah. The "Past Tunnel" was decimated when Duo left Earth and it only stretched as further as 1975."

"I predict I'll be over in about 40~50 minutes, anyway."

"That's not my point!"

"Beast Man! Destroy them!"

"What! Beast Man!"

Kanou Shade let go of Yami and turned around but saw no – one: the door was slammed shut behind him so he grumbled and opened it to see Yami jumping over the handrail and straight into the ground towards the van: he climbed in and sped away.

"DAMN YOU, YORU YAMI!" He brandished the right fist in a menacing manner.

He grumbled something under his breath and quickly brought up his PET to input some commands there: feed of Enzan meeting up with Laika and Forte came up.

"… Well?"

"Zero."

"Nothing."

"Shit. Where are they?" Enzan cursed.

Both "Net Savior" Link PETs beeped.

"K. S.?" Both asked the Navis.

"Yes, sir!" Both Navis confirmed.

"Open it!" Both commanded.

"Roger!"

"Hum! "Subject: dirty handiworks. Text: search all immediate close Game Centers and seize the culprit giving out new-gen "Dark Chips" ASAP before it's too late!" … What!" Blues read aloud.

"… What the…! New-gen "Dark Chips"…? Someone else apart from the "Neo WWW" actually built those?" Laika cursed.

"Who cares? We know what's going on and let devil bite me if this isn't unrelated to the overall picture." Enzan grumbled.

"Yeah. Let's hurry."

They split off and Shade did the same: he ran through the streets following the tires of the van and spotted it parked next to another Game Center: he rushed in while Laika came in through a side-door: Shade hid behind a column and saw Laika looking around.

"… Hey! You! What the hell was that black Chip? What happened to my Navi? Answer me, you _otaku_ jerk!" Someone yelled.

_Déjà vu!_ Shade inwardly grumbled.

"Nobody move! The "Net Saviors"!" Laika ran into the emergency exit corridor while displaying his badge.

He could see "Necros" being cornered by a younger boy who was recriminating him: "Necros" gasped and quickly pushed the boy asides before he opened the door and ran off.

"Wait!" Laika called out.

He jumped off the stairs and followed the guy into a small intersection of streets: "Nebula Dimensional Converters" suddenly appeared from the ground and formed a "Dimensional Area" around the intersection, to Laika's surprise.

"A "Dimensional Area"…?" Laika gasped.

"Kuh… Huh… Gruh… La… Laika…!"

"Netto! Is that you? What's going on?"

"S-stop… us! K-knock us… out cold!" Saito pleaded.

"What's going on?" Search Man asked.

"GRUAH! Huff, huff… My turn to shine…" He suddenly clutched the head and then lowered his gaze.

"What's wrong with them?" Laika cursed.

_Che! Yoru Yami! You lowlife!_

"… "Dark Synchro Chip"!" He exclaimed as he took it out of his short's left pocket.

"What!" Laika gasped.

"Slot In! Cross Fusion!"

There was the typical flash of purple light and the resulting "Cross Fusion" surprised Laika.

"What's wrong with you, Netto?"

"Shaddup! Name's Necros!"

"Something is VERY WRONG with their heads."

"Laika – sama. Some kind of EM waves exchange is taking place between them and someone else close by."

"Mind control, you mean to say?"

"I believe so, sir."

"Anyway! Synchro Chip, Slot In! CROSS FUSION!"

Laika performed "Cross Fusion" and engaged his scanning abilities to analyze the opponent.

"Shaddup… We're Necros and Nox, Sith Disciples of the Sith Lord!"

"Sith Lord…? Isn't that taken out of the _Star Wars_ movies?" "CF" Laika frowned and sounded skeptical.

"That would be me. _Comrade_."

_That voice…! Impossible!_ Laika inwardly gasped.

"Twilight…!"

Yoru Yami had suddenly gained a Net Navi form and showed up from behind the evil "CF" Netto while still having the Link PET on his right hand which was working.

His form was highly reminiscent of Rock Man's one.

He wore a helmet with a mouth guard activated: his eyes' irises were visible and it could be seen that they were colored crimson red.

His chest emblem consisted on just two shades of black and white split by a horizontal grey line: he had two curious shoulder pads which were shaped as two split halves of a diamond: his main body's color was navy blue although the forearms and his boots were colored in purple.

A black smooth cape hung from the back of his shoulders and reached all the way to the floor as well as an add-on to his bodysuit.

"Maybe you should name me _Darth_ Twilight instead." He suggested with a hint of amusement.

"You lowlife…! Didn't Duo kill you?" "CF" Laika hissed.

"Heh! That was a_ bunshin_!" He let out.

"What!" "CF" Laika gasped.

"Master." "CF" Necros saluted.

"… 25 minutes 11 seconds. Not bad." Twilight announced.

"Thank you very much." He saluted again.

"… You've corrupted Netto and Saito!" "CF" Laika hissed.

"I'd rather say this is an experiment." Twilight shrugged.

"Experiment…! People aren't to be experimented with!" "CF" Laika hissed.

"… Your comrades would've thought differently half a century ago, wouldn't have? _Comrade_." Twilight mocked.

"Damn." He hissed.

"I'm surprised the traitor or Freeze Man didn't tell you: they knew ever since that fatidic day since the traitor brought Freeze Man to the Moon Base where we had a little skirmish."

"They knew all along…?" "CF" Laika gasped.

"… Dark Sword!"

CLANG!

"CF" Laika gasped and turned around: "CF" Blues was locking blades with "CF" Necros.

"Oh… Ijuuin still likes attacking from behind? Interesting." Twilight looked amused.

"Open your eyes!" "CF" Blues told him.

"Shaddup! I'm the Ultimate Apprentice!" "CF" Necros shot back.

"Twilight…! You lowlife…!" "CF" Blues hissed.

"My. What manners." He put up a smug smile.

"… Laika – sama. Please be careful. I can't fully analyze Twilight's combat capabilities." Search Man warned.

"Che. This guy is no joke!" "CF" Laika grumbled.

"Heh. Unending Cyclone!"

Something similar to the Tornado Battle Chip formed in the area but its power and size were clearly above those of the Battle Chip: "CF" Laika was caught into it and spiraled around its body while projectiles hit his body and inflicted damage: he was then sent flying and he hit the ground in a hard and violent manner.

"Grah!" He groaned.

"Laika – sama!" Search Man gasped.

"That was my "Wind" Attribute Special Ability." Twilight announced.

"… Tank Cannon!"

"Groah!"

"CF" Blues had drawn the Tank Cannon and shot it at close-quarters at "CF" Necros, propelling him backwards until he collided with the "Dimensional Area" and was electrocuted.

"Groa~h!"

He fell to the ground in a violent manner but manage to sit up on his knees while smoking and panting.

"The final blow!" "CF" Blues announced.

He jumped towards "CF" Necros but his movements suddenly slowed down at an unbelievable high rate and "CF" Necros had ample time to recover and kick him on his jaw:

"Eat kick, you punk!"

Time suddenly returned to normal and "CF" Blues hit the ground in a violent manner.

"Did you like my Time Flow Special Ability? I can alter the Time - Space flow around a target and slow or speed it up!" Twilight announced.

"Grah… Twilight…! You lowlife…!" He cursed.

"… Necros! Commit the Sith Tradition." Twilight commanded.

"CF" Necros walked over to "CF" Blues and held up the Dark Sword.

"I'll cut off your neck!" He announced in an icy voice.

"Mountain Spear!"

Some metallic objects shot out from somewhere and hit "CF" Necros: they propelled him into the "Dimensional Area" wall and he was electrocuted again.

"GRUWRA~H!"

Part of his "Cross Fusion" began to break apart because he was hitting the limits of his physical strength: Freeze Man had materialized and was facing Twilight.

"You lowlife!" He hissed.

"My. General Freeze Man. So you gained materialization factors. Gospel's been busy, I can see that." Twilight amusedly announced.

"Blues! Search Man! Use this chance! I'll buy time!" Freeze Man announced.

Twilight suddenly materialized two medieval-like sword sheaths which he attached to his waist and unsheathed the swords: they were frizzling with electricity.

"This was what sent Shade Man – dono to the Afterworld. You'll make him company." He announced.

"Ice Tower!" Freeze Man announced.

The ground beneath Twilight rumbled and an Ice Tower came out: it propelled Twilight skywards until the hit the "ceiling" of the "Dimensional Area" and then fell off into the ground while dropping both swords in the process.

"Grah! I'm getting furious! You shall know the foolishness of attacking Demon King – sama!" He hissed.

"… Battle Chip, Magma Seed!"

"CF" Laika threw the Magma Seed at the ground and "CF" Necros got trapped into it.

"The final blow! Hra~h!" "CF" Blues exclaimed.

He plunged his sword into the chest emblem and "CF" Necros opened his eyes wide.

"… I'm… dying…! Groa~h!" He muttered before he roared in pain.

Purple-colored electricity covered his body while "CF" Blues tackled him out of the Magma Seed terrain: his "Cross Fusion" form began to slowly delete itself and reform into the Link PET.

"Outta… my head…!"

The PET hit the ground and the new carcass jumped off it, splitting into its two pieces.

"Otou… to…!"

The PET then laid face-up on the ground and ejected the "Dark Synchro Chip": it was totally broken and frizzling.

"Nii… san…!"

Netto hit the ground and collapsed there.

"Heh. Like I'd calculated… Farewell!" Twilight sounded amused as he stood up and shook the dust off him.

He dematerialized and departed the area along with the "Dimensional Converters": the others grumbled.

"I'll be going! Good-bye!" Freeze Man announced.

Enzan and Laika cancelled their "Cross Fusions" and crouched next to the unconscious Netto.

"… Blues. Take Saito to the Science Labs and explain the situation to Hikari – hakase. We'll take him to the hospital." He commanded.

"Roger." Blues acknowledged.

"… Let's go, Laika." Enzan told him.

"Yeah."

They carefully picked Netto and carried him some meters: Enzan then drew his PET.

"Me. Send a vehicle to rendezvous with me at these coordinates: I need to transport someone injured so come ASAP!"

"Roger, Vice President, sir."

"He sounded like Twilight was attempting to implant an alternate personality into him but he was resisting somehow." Laika told Enzan in the meanwhile.

"The waves ceased when Twilight fled with the PET."

They heard a vehicle engine's roar and Yami's van drove past them while he took off the hat and made a mockery of a salute through the window.

"_Au revoir, mon amis_! Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah ,ha~h!"

"Damn it! There they go: laughing like a psycho again!"

"And we got fooled by a _bunshin_ last time around too."

"A _bunshin_! Fuck!"

"Ah. Yeah. My bad… I thought that they'd be having enough by fooling around Western Europe so…" Forte apologized as he came in.

"Western Europe? Fooling around? Wait, wait. That rings a bell somewhere, doesn't it?" Enzan gasped.

"… I'll do some research." Laika announced.

"May I begin, Laika – sama?"

"Yes. The sooner the better. Even if it's an overall picture…"

"Roger."

"Ah! The limo. Alright, Forte. We'll let this slip. But you better tell us anything you've held back or else something like what happened today can repeat once again and with worse consequences." Enzan told him as they headed for the limo, which had parked close by.

"Alright. I'm off to the base to run my own check-up too."

"Fine."

Both climbed into the limo and it drove away: Enzan frowned upon looking closer at the clothes: he suddenly took off the vest and lifted his shirt: both gasped when seeing the whipping scars.

"By all the…! Twilight! The bastard!" Laika cursed.

"… This type of wounds… The type of whip… It rings a bell…"

"Hell. They better treat those before they get further infected."

"Yeah, I know… Twilight! Damn you!"


	5. Chapter 5: Healing

**Chapter 5: Healing**

22:44 PM (Japan Time), Friday April the 30th…

"… Grah… Ugh… Pain… I can't run away… from this pain… Pain… I want to… run away…"

"Netto! Hang in there!"

Netto had been agitating while being sleeping on a hospital bed: he'd been changed into a hospital pajama and had a bandage around his head which contained an EEG sensor.

"Netto!"

Enzan had been sitting on a chair next to him and he leant over towards him: he touched his right arm with care and he seemed to calm down.

"Calm down. It's safe."

Netto slowly opened his eyes: he looked around and spotted Enzan close by.

"E-Enzan…?" He asked.

"You're awake… Thank goodness." He sighed in relief.

"S-sorry… I know what I was doing, but… Grah! That jerk's mind control was too strong to fight off! What a headache…! Ah! Inukai Takeo!" He suddenly recalled.

"Inukai Takeo, you say!" Enzan exclaimed.

"… Huh…? My back doesn't hurt…?" Netto slowly asked.

"They had to give you're a pain canceller." Enzan told him.

"Meijin – san! Is he okay? What happened to him?" Netto muttered before asking.

"That wasn't the real Meijin. Yami was posing as him because the real one was working with your father on a new firewall system the whole time."

"What!" Netto exclaimed.

"Yeah. The reason you collapsed was because the room had a sleeping gas build-up. The industrial glue the dolls had was done in purpose to hide the smell: it forced you to breathe through the mouth and thus a large dose of it entered your body." Enzan explained.

"Then… Bubble Man didn't make those! They were part of the trap!"

"If you were wondering… Saito is at the Science Labs. Your father called me a while ago to tell me there will be no permanent sequels whatsoever: it'd seem this thing wasn't intended to do that." Enzan told him.

"Oh! I'd forgotten about Saito – niisan!" Netto looked repented.

"Don't worry: the danger is over." Enzan assured him.

"How did you catch up with what was going on?"

"Apparently… "K. S." was witness to it and even got to fight Yami there, on the Game Center you first visited."

"Fight Yami!"

"But Yami distracted him saying Beast Man was coming: apparently he picked some idea of a King Land 1950s man named Professor Jonathan Septimus to come up with that "mind control" thing…"

"Yeah. Mind control alright… The fucker! I thought I'd die!"

"By the way: I still believe I've met "K. S." somewhere before."

"You do? Where was that?" Netto muttered before asking Enzan.

"Damn. I keep on forgetting. But every time I try to, I find too many matches and I can't narrow them down well enough… The only thing we know for sure is that he may be on his twenties like Yami. But I've got no clue of his hair color or eye color." Enzan admitted.

"I've seen it to be brown. And his eyes are blue. I remember the close encounters with him…" Netto told him.

Netto's PET beeped: both Saito and Blues projected out of it.

"Netto – kun! Otouto!" Saito called out.

"Saito – niisan! Are you okay?" Netto asked while looking relieved.

"Yup. Papa told me I'm as fine as ever. He was able to heal those wounds…" Saito confirmed.

"Oh! Enzan! Yami's gotten a fortune during all this time or he already had one… He paid Inukai five _million _Credits for his job and told him to get lost!" Netto remembered.

"What! Wait a min! Didn't Umbra…?" Enzan began.

"Yami undid that and restored Beast Man." Saito cut him short.

"Damn. So that's why he could remember that." Enzan growled.

"You should post a "WANTED" notice." Saito suggested to Blues.

"Yeah. We'll run investigations." Blues confirmed.

"I won't let such a guy get away with it." Enzan told Netto.

"Enzan…!" Netto looked relieved.

There was a knock on the door.

"Huh… Come in!" Netto replied.

Meiru and Hikawa came in.

"Oh! Meiru – chan! Tooru – kun!" He greeted.

"Netto!"

"Netto – kun!"

They both stood next to the bed.

"What happened?" Meiru asked.

"… A jerk attacked and wounded me." Netto replied.

"What a thing!"

"And then Yami came out and turned me into his pawn." Netto admitted.

"Yami…? Twilight? But…!" Meiru gasped.

"That was a_ bunshin_. He fooled us all along." Saito explained.

"Oh! Now that I think about it… We found a gentleman in the lobby who knew who we were… He requested of us to give you a message, Netto – kun." Hikawa admitted.

"… What message?" Netto asked.

"… "Cousin is on the abandoned coal mine sixty kilometers NNW of the rare metal mine Cold Man took over during the campaign of "Nebula". He'll be waiting there." …That's it." Tooru quoted.

"Sharo Nation…" Enzan muttered.

"…"He'll be waiting there"…" Saito muttered.

"… It'd seem he's inviting you to settle the score." Blues guessed.

"Yeah… And we'll win! Niisan and I can overcome anything!"

"True!" Saito smiled.

"Laika is running some investigation: apparently Twilight's been up to something in Western Europe and maybe that explains how he got his hands into that fortune." Enzan admitted.

"Knowing Laika he'll figure something out, alright."

"So relax. You'll be discarded by tomorrow but those wounds will take a while to heal… You mustn't scratch them. They will use a treatment to make them fade too." Enzan told him.

"By the way, Netto – kun… Dekao – kun is still asking for a "Synchro Chip" and won't do the curry rightly enough." Hikawa told him.

"Yes! Can you come up with something to shake him off?" Meiru asked next with a sigh.

"Maybe Chisao will get through him…"

"Well. At least you're in one piece. We'll be going. Be strong, Netto!"

"_Thank you_!"

15:58 PM (Japan Time), Saturday May the 1st…

"… Man. It's only been 4 hours since we took off and we still have 5 times that amount of time ahead of us to travel… If only we'd figured out how the "Dimensional Converters" warp people around…"

"Yeah, I know."

Netto was sitting in a plane's seat next to the window along with Laika and looking bored.

"Let's start the video-conference." Laika told him.

"Sure." Netto looked at him.

Laika brought up a laptop which he booted up and he formed a videoconference with Japan: Meijin, Enzan, Commissioner Kifune and Superintendent Manabe were gathered around the Net Police HQ table and looking at them.

"… Ahem, ahem. Good morning. I will now relay the information I've received important information from "K. S." regarding Yoru Yami's activities during and after the Duo Crisis." Laika began.

"Go ahead, Laika – kun." Kifune told him.

"To begin with… Have a look at these." Laika announced.

The screen displayed several French newspapers headlines with a Japanese subtitle inserted at the bottom of the image: the headlines were diverse.

"PARIS BANK ROBBED!"

"_MONSIEUR_ "SHADOW SCHEMER" STRIKES BACK IN TOULOUSE"

"WHAT ARE THE MONTPELIER POLICE DOING?"

"MYSTERIOUS SIGHTINGS OF ARMED GROUP IN CALAIS"

"DOUBLE-SIDED ROBBERY IN MARSEILLE"

"ARE OUR NATIONAL SECURITY SYSTEMS OUTDATED?"

"… As you can see… Starting roughly one year ago and until November France was terrorized by this figure known as the "Shadow Schemer". His robberies were flawless: all Cyber World security was disabled and a lot of gold and bank notes bundles were stolen from the unlocked safe rooms while large monetary transfers were made to several proxy accounts scattered across the world." Laika explained.

"Wow." Netto whistled in surprise.

"He plunged a whole nation into "terror" and "fear"…!"

"… I see. What happened afterwards?" Kifune asked.

"The whole thing suddenly stopped to reappear in _Italy_ less than a week later." Laika replied.

He brought up several more newspapers headlines with a Japanese subtitle inserted into the photo.

"_SIGNORE_ "SHADOW SCHEMER" COMES OVER FROM THE PRIDEFUL FRANCE"

"MYSTERIOUS NOCTURNAL BATTLE OF POLICE AND ARMED GROUP IN MILAN"

"IS ITALY BEHIND OTHER NATIONS WHEN IT COMES TO SECURITY?"

"IS "SHADOW SCHEMER" AN EVIL GENIUS?'

"WHAT CAN WE DO?"

"… How long did that last?" Netto asked.

"It lasted until more or less the end of January, after the "Professor" had been brought down and Zero went free."

"… The timing reeks." Enzan muttered.

"So? What happened afterwards?" Manabe asked.

"…"Shadow Schemer" showed up in Germany." Laika announced.

"France, Italy, Germany…" Meijin muttered.

Laika brought up another set of headlines.

"_HERR_ "SHADOW SCHEMER" TERRORIZES BERLIN"

"BLACK HELICOPTER SIGHTED NEAR ROBBED TARGET IN FRANKFURT"

"IS _HERR_ "SHADOW SCHEMER" A FOREIGN POWER AGENT?"

"ARE WE IN RISK OF BEING ATTACKED BY TERRORISTS?"

"STAND UNITED AND FIGHT BACK"

"… And let me guess. That streak ended after Cache's defeat." Meijin deduced.

"Yes, sir. It ended three days later." Laika confirmed.

"So? Was King Land targeted next?" Enzan guessed.

"Yeah. It was the last one." Laika replied.

"Please have a look." Search Man announced.

Another set of headlines showed up onscreen:

"MR "SHADOW SCHEMER" = CHOINA AGENT?"

"IS EUROPE BEING USED AS FIELD TESTING FOR CHOINA'S HACKERS?"

"WILL A NEW CYBER WAR INVOLVING NET NAVIS BEGIN SOON?"

"WILL AMEROUPE BE NEXT?"

"… When did that one end?" Saito asked.

"On Thursday April the 29th… Two days ago!" Search Man replied.

"So… "Shadow Schemer" was Yoru Yami all along?" Kifune asked.

"Indeed. And this is what he has been doing this whole time." Laika confirmed.

"Plunging Europe into fear and chaos… Even staging rumors of Choina's involvement…" Meijin muttered.

"But what were those talks about "armed groups" about?" Netto asked.

"… "K. S." elaborates on this… Twilight's strategy was double: he hired a powerful commando team to take care of robbing real world stuff while he snuck in and used his Net Navi abilities to disable all security and transfer the money to his proxy accounts over the world: Switzerland, Seychelles, Cayman, Argentina, Andorra, Monaco, Alaska, Cape City, Melbourne, Oosaka, Hong Kong, St. Petersburg, Cairo, Kuwait, Falkland, and, lastly, Barcelona." Laika listed.

"W-whoa!" Everyone gasped.

"…"K. S." wasn't able to estimate the exact amounts, but he gives us a general idea based on some calculations… If Twilight were to use all of this money at once then he could do all the stuff Nebula did, like the Twilight Tower, _five times over_." Laika announced.

"WHAT?" Everyone gasped.

"And he also seems to have been financing illegal activities across the world… But he mostly focused on… hum… red light district matters." Laika seemed to improvise the last sentence as he side-glanced at Netto.

"What a thing…!" Kifune gasped.

"Huh? "Red light district matters"… What does that mean?" Netto asked while frowning.

"First-timer…" Saito admitted.

"… You'd be better off not knowing." Laika told him with a serious look to his face.

"… O-okay…" Netto slowly replied while looking surprised.

"In any case… We know he'll be waiting at that mine. We would be fools missing this opportunity."

"… True. This may be our only opportunity to try to bring his activities to a halt." Kifune agreed on it.

"… He's waiting for us. We'll have to fight him." Netto announced.

"He won't accept any other adversary: it's personal." Saito added.

"I will be the backup." Laika offered.

"Excellent. Be careful and don't lower the guard."

"Roger, sir."

"Do your best, Netto." Enzan rallied.

"Prove the strength of your bonds, Rock Man." Blues added.

"Thanks, _Buruusu_."

"Tell him he's fired." Meijin smiled.

"Roger! Mei – jin – chan!"

"… "chan"…?" He sighed in defeat.

"Oh wait! Mei – jin – han!"

"… "han"…? Kansai dialect next…?" He looked depressed by now.

"Heh, heh." Manabe inwardly giggled.

"Superintendent Manabe too…"

"Meijin… Don't get your mood down." Kifune smiled.

"I try, sir, yet…" He politely argued back.

"Just you watch! I'll defeat that guy!" Netto announced.

"Good luck."

The video-conference ended and Laika closed the laptop: he sighed and looked troubled about something: he leant back on the seat.

"… Huff."

"Laika – sama. Is something the matter, sir?" Search Man asked.

"No, nothing… Just the shock of yesterday…"

"I understand, sir. I shouldn't have asked, sir."

"Don't mind it, Search Man…"

"Hum… Laika… Is that "red light" something…?"

"Need Not to Know!" He suddenly snapped at him.

"W-whoa! Sorry!"

"… Sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I just have had trouble sleeping with that of yesterday and all. That "Septimus" he talked about, though, was a fictional villain in a Belgian comic-book titled "The Yellow M" which was published in the 50s by an author named Edgar P. Jacobs… He was a psychiatry medic… And he invented a system to seize the brain's "Mega Wave" which controlled a human's instincts… Thus turning anyone into a terrific opponent that could undergo any mission without being able to feel fear or anything…" Laika sighed before he explained.

"But I guess Twilight's system was blunter, right?"

"Yeah. Apparently he wasn't expecting the whole deal to even reach 60 minutes to begin with."

"And then saying he'd turn us into Sith Apprentices… The guy must've seen all _Star Wars_ movies over and over again including Episode III which came out a year ago…" Netto fumed.

"Don't think about that, Netto – kun. We must focus on the upcoming battle." Saito reminded him.

"I wouldn't be surprised, though, if "K. S." sends another robot to watch over us… Or if Forte dispatches Freeze Man with his invisible diamond to try to assist us…" Netto muttered.

"Guess so."

"By the way! Can you atomize an atomizer, niisan?"

"HUH? What's that?" Saito frowned.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh! My invincible motto!"

"Oh come on. Don't get cocky, Netto – kun."

Laika and Search Man smiled while Netto formed a broad grin…


	6. Chapter 6: The final battle

**Chapter 6: The final battle**

16:16 PM (Moscow Time), Sunday May the 2nd…

"… This is the place!"

"Here, huh…"

Netto had been riding with Laika on a snow bike and had reached the abandoned coal mine cave entrance: Netto was wearing his usual winter coat given how it was a rather cold day.

"… It'd seem you've been able to prepare, humans…"

Several "Nebula Dimensional Converters" popped out near the cave's entrance and triggered a "Dimensional Area" encompassing the whole of the perimeter.

"Synchro Chip, Slot In! CROSS FUSION!"

Both Netto and Laika performed "Cross Fusion" and looked towards the cave's entrance.

"Hikari Netto! Hikari Saito! My _half-brothers_! Come!" Twilight rallied.

"Laika! Secure the entrance." "CF" Netto requested.

"Yeah! I'll be standing by." "CF" Laika confirmed.

"CF" Netto ran inside and "CF" Laika followed him:

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh. Reverse Card: Activate! Permanent Trap Card: Pain Barrier!"

A black metallic cover popped out of nowhere and separated both of them: the cover had an orange circle painted on the middle and eight straight lines set near its center: it looked strong and resistant.

"What the…! Search Man! Analyze this thing!" He commanded.

"… This shield is designed to absorb the attacking power of attacks and change into Health Points, Laika – sama. In short: Twilight will recover energy with every attack we throw at it." Search Man reported.

"Heh, heh, heh… There's no need for interlopers! Laika! I've got a special hot role for ya… Go! Pawns!" Twilight exclaimed.

"Asteroid" Bomber Man and "Asteroid" Stone Man suddenly materialized next to "CF" Laika while looking ready for battle.

"Hah! You lowlife shall be destroyed by the great me: "Asteroid" Bomber Man – sama!" Bomber Man exclaimed.

"Hah! You lowlife shall be annihilated by the great me: "Asteoird" Stone Man – sama!" Stone Man exclaimed.

"Che!" "CF" Laika hissed.

"… Damn. I expected this."

"_Cheat codes_, huh…"

"CF" Netto had been trying to move the cover out of the way but it was too heavy: he and Saito grumbled.

"… Can't be helped! We'll have to do this on our own." "CF" Netto muttered in a resigned tone of voice.

He spotted an archway leading to another room in the mine, so he ran forward and stopped dead on his tracks.

"W-what in the…"

The main shaft of the mine had been transformed somehow: it had a large descending spiral built into the sides of the wall which descended tens of meters until it reached a circle – shaped plain spot at the bottom of it: the slopes' edges had "Dimensional Area" – like walls which were about five meters tall.

"Whoa!"

As if it wasn't enough, the whole of the ramp was filled with several classes of Viruses: they were hundreds of them if not thousands crowding each square meter of the surface.

"W-what in the…? What is this place?" "CF" Netto gasped.

"The whole environment seems to be materialized data imposed over real objects!" Saito reported.

"W-whoa…! No – one had been able to do that before!" "CF" Netto exclaimed.

"It'd seem we'll have to run down the ramp while taking out all the Viruses we can along the way, otouto." Saito told him.

"No way… Let's use the Jet Vernier and skip them!" "CF" Netto grumbled before making a suggestion.

A purple vortex suddenly formed in the air above him and some lighting rained down, hitting him and electrocuting him.

"Gra~h!"

He fell into his fours while smoking and grumbled something under his breath.

"Netto – kun! The Jet Vernier has a lock on it: it demands a ten-digit-long password!" Saito reported.

"Yami…! He wants to make me sweat!" "CF" Netto cursed.

"Let's go!" Saito rallied.

"Che! Battle Chip, Long Blade, Wide Blade!" "CF" Netto announced.

He drew both blades and began to run down the slope while slicing all Viruses which came close.

"YA~H!"

A wall formed in front of him all of a sudden and eight Navis armed with Elec Swords surrounded him.

"Che! If I try to use my swords then they'll electrocute me! Battle Chip, Wind God Racket!"

The blast of wind blew the Navis away and the wall faded, thus allowing "CF" Netto to keep on running down the slopes: he was met with a group of wrecking ball – holding Navis next.

"Almost like Knight Man, huh…" He muttered.

"Be careful, Netto – kun!" Saito warned.

"Hmmm… Aha!" "CF" Netto thought of something and smiled.

The Navis closed around him and then shot out their wrecking balls.

"Gotcha!"

However, a cloud of smoke ensued and a _chibi_ doll appeared on "CF" Netto's place along with some Triple Bombs: they blew up and took out the group of Navis.

"Heh, ehh!"

"CF" Netto ran forward again while slicing as many Viruses as he could on his wake.

"We've almost descended three quarters of the path, Netto – kun!" Saito reported.

"Huff… Huff… Here is the next round, I guess…" He muttered while panting.

In effect: some big, fat and mean-looking Navis popped out around him while holding Zeus Hammer Battle Chips: they looked heavily armored and hard to damage.

"Hmmm… I've an idea!" He muttered.

He stood still while the Navis approached him and he then slid under one through the opening on its legs when it was going to attack.

"_Bye-bye_!"

The Navis ended up hitting each other and destroying their armors with their Zeus Hammers.

"Battle Chip, Spread Gun! Double Slot In!"

The two Spread Guns made short work of the armor-less Navis and he was able to keep on descending.

"It's almost like I was stepped into Hell itself!" He grimly muttered.

"I wouldn't be surprised if that's where he got the idea from." Saito admitted.

They finally reached the bottom of the ramp but a fourth wall was blocking them off from accessing the round plain: a "Dream Virus" appeared and roared.

"… A Dream Virus, you say! You've gone overboard this time around, Yami!" He cursed.

"Netto – kun! It's coming!" Saito warned.

"Yikes!"

"CF" Netto barely dodged its claws but was then struck head-on by a laser beam shot out of a gun mounted on its right shoulder: he hit the rocky wall and slid down it.

"Grah… It ain't a just _a_ Dream Virus… It's the Nightmare Virus!" He sarcastically cursed.

"Netto – kun! Move!" Saito warned.

"Shit!"

He managed to dodge another laser blast and he tried to come up with a strategy to beat the thing.

"… Okay! Golden Fist!"

He jumped towards the Dream Virus and managed to make a dent on its chest: he then dodged two claw swipes and put some distance between both of them.

"Program Advance! Count Bomb, Triple Slot In! Giga Count Bomb!" He announced next.

"CF" Netto placed the Giga Count Bomb on the monster's chest dent: the monster looked at it with obvious confusion.

"Battle Chip, White Web!"

The White Web caused the Giga Count Bomb to get stuck there while the Dream Virus mindlessly tried to shoot at "CF" Netto with the mounted laser cannon.

"_Sayonara_~!"

The bomb went off, causing a brutal explosion and taking the Dream Virus out by blowing it up into countless pieces of data which floated around the area.

"Phew!"

The wall disappeared, so "CF" Netto rushed into the area just as it reformed behind him.

"We did it… Somehow… WHOA!"

The ground and ceiling suddenly shook: the ground _detached_ itself and began to float while growing in size and assuming a watery-like surface as the environment was replaced by clouds and open "sky": it seemed to be daylight given the illumination.

"W-whoa!" He gasped.

"The area changed!" Saito gasped.

"CF" Netto then looked ahead and spotted Twilight giving him the back and looking at a holographic image of the Earth.

"… Heh. Good work, my _half-brothers_." He congratulated without even bothering to turn.

"Yami…!" "CF" Netto hissed.

"We've come to stop you!" Saito added.

"Heh. The show is about to start." Twilight announced.

He snapped his right hand's fingers: a medieval-like sword appeared on "CF" Netto's right hand and a slightly curved shield decorated with the Hikari family crest appeared on his left hand.

"W-whoa! What's this stuff?" He wondered.

"_Legend of Zelda _rip-offs?" Saito ventured.

"… So…? Are you two mortals ready to face Demon King – sama…? The world shall soon fall under my ruling… And the Secret Empire shall be resurrected…! Such is my mission!" Twilight turned around.

He held a blade similar to "CF" Netto's but it was colored purple and black while having the form of three diamonds set one on top of the other.

"Mission…? Secret Empire…?" "CF" Netto wondered.

"The Secret Empire slept during the day and lived during the night. It encompassed the whole of Japan!" Twilight announced.

"T-the whole of Japan…!" Saito gasped.

"But… A traitor let everything out and Ice Queen – sama was brought down from Its throne. The Unified Empire broke into small feuds which are still trying to get all the profits for their own by stealing off their rivals' merchandise!" Twilight exclaimed.

"Mister K. S. did that?" "CF" Netto asked.

"No! That man simply wasn't _educated_ good enough. He was not told that he was to make the Empire resurrect no matter what. He became a solo being who acts according to its own interests… We had a battle but we got nowhere." Twilight announced.

"You two had a battle?" Saito sounded surprised.

"… Well… It was a fencing duel. We did that inside of the Moon Base while you guys were riding aboard Duo's Comet." Twilight shrugged.

"And what's with the sword and…?" "CF" Netto began asking.

"I thought it'd be fitting. Witness!" Twilight announced.

The skies suddenly lost light and the clouds became brownish: it looked like a storm was about to be unleashed and Twilight brandished his sword.

"Do not fret. I would gain nothing by killing you two. Instead… I shall grant to you a Living Hell." He announced.

"A Living Hell…?" "CF" Netto frowned.

"A Living Hell… Night after night… Your bodies shall be ruled by fear and terror while your consciousnesses become nothing more than broken shards… You will soon regret I hadn't killed you two before so as to not to have to live this eternal nightmare…" Twilight announced in a sinister tone of voice.

"W-what in the…!" Saito gasped.

"Heh. So? Can you defeat me? Or will I defeat you? As ruler of the Demon Tribe… I challenge you two!" Twilight told them.

"I'm ready for anything! Let's go, niisan!" "CF" Netto replied.

Twilight dashed forward and began to try to hit "CF" Netto with the sword but he used the shield to block.

"Netto – kun! Don't trust this shield: it has a damage gauge! If we deplete it then we won't be able to use it again! Put it away and let it recharge for a while if it gets down!" Saito warned.

"O-okay!" "CF" Netto replied.

"CF" Netto tried to counter-attack and manage to land one or two hits on Twilight but he looked unaffected.

"Che!"

"CF" Netto then aimed for the chest area and made a deep cut there: Twilight choked and stepped back one or two steps while he panted.

"Hmpf. Not bad… Here I come!" He announced.

"CF" Netto tried to block him with the shield, but he realized that the gauge was way too low.

"Better run…"

He ducked, rolled across the "ground" and ran one or two meters away to then stand up: Twilight was already there.

"No way!"

His sword hit "CF" Netto's upper torso and kicked him away thus making him land in the "water" with a splash.

"Shit." He cursed.

He quickly stood up as Twilight was about to attack again and delivered some hits to his enemy's lower torso before kicking him away with the sword and making him fall with his back on the "water" too.

"Heh… Heh, heh… Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…!"

The skies suddenly turned gray and so did the atmosphere as Twilight stood up and aimed his sword "skywards": lightning came down and electrified the blade.

"Heh. How about you experience some electricity?" Twilight challenged.

"Damn. This is becoming uglier with every passing moment." "CF" Netto cursed.

"Yeah. Try to duck or dodge, Netto – kun!" Saito suggested.

"CF" Netto dodged and blocked off some hits from Twilight's sword: it lost its electrical charge afterwards.

_What if I do the same thing?_ He suddenly wondered.

He lifted his sword and lightning charged it up at the same time Twilight did the same with his sword.

"Eat this!"

He shot out a streak of lightning forward and it collided with Twilight's own streak of lightning, thus cancelling each other.

"Is that all?" Twilight challenged.

"Che! No!" "CF" Netto shot back.

"Netto – kun! Let's try that once more!" Saito suggested.

"Yeah! Come! Lightning!"

"Heh! Lightning! Grant me power!"

Both swords charged up and "CF" Netto brought out his shield to block Twilight's assaults.

"I blocked! My turn!"

He then shot the electrical discharge at the enemy's body, electrocuting him: "CF" Netto took the chance to deliver some quick strikes to him.

"Gra~h!"

Twilight collapsed with his back on the ground and "CF" Netto jumped towards him to try to plunge his sword into his body.

"HRA~H!"

Twilight, however, recovered in a very quick manner and "CF" Netto ended up hitting the "water" instead.

"Damn! I was so close!" He cursed.

"Keep on trying, otouto!" Saito rallied.

"Hah! Brag while you can. Your frustration will soon give way to total terror and fear!" Twilight challenged.

"Che! This ain't over yet!" "CF" Netto grumbled.

"It'll soon be." Twilight smiled.

The earlier process was repeated: both charged up their swords, "CF" Netto waited for Twilight's sword to lose its power and he then counter-attacked while trying to deliver a final blow to him only to dodge while he was at mid-maneuver.

"Grah! This is taking forever!" "CF" Netto cursed.

"The guy's too fast…!" Saito cursed.

"Did you really think Demon King – sama would be so feeble?" Twilight questioned.

"This time…!" "CF" Netto muttered.

"… We'll win!" Saito added.

"Bring it on!" Twilight challenged.

The process went on for a third time: "CF" Netto managed to knock Twilight into the ground.

"NOW!"

The sword made contact and plunged into Twilight's body.

"GROA~H!"

"CF" Netto jumped away and panted from the tiredness while Twilight managed to stand up.

"… It's come down to this, then… I'll stake everything in one attack!"

"Same thing over here…!" "CF" Netto replied.

Twilight clasped both hands together and black energy began to build up in his chest emblem.

"Go away, stupid things."

"CF" Netto tossed the sword and shield away before he took out the Rock Buster and began to charge it up.

"CHAOS BEAM!"

"CHARGE SHOT!"

A brutal black-colored beam of energy emerged from Twilight's chest emblem and headed towards "CF" Netto.

"Fire!"

"CF" Netto shot his usual Charge Shot and let the recoil push him backwards as his attack flew towards Twilight.

"Come!" Twilight challenged.

Both attacks met and suddenly began to clash against each other before growing into one energy sphere which was expanding at a mad speed and frizzling: it looked rather unstable and like it could blow up any moment now too: crackling and frizzling sounds rang out.

"W-whoa!" "CF" Netto gasped.

"What the…! What's going on? Why didn't the Chaos Beam overpower their attack…?" Twilight gasped.

"… Netto – kun! That shield blocking off the entrance is gone!" Saito reported.

"Huh? Huh… Yeah… So?" "CF" Netto absent-mindedly replied.

"That thing is out of control: it's gonna explode!" Saito warned.

"Explode, you say!" "CF" Netto gasped.

"Get outta 'ere ASAP!" Saito told him.

"… Yeah! I don't wanna be around when this thing explodes! We'll settle this next time, Yami!" "CF" Netto replied.

"Hah, hah, hah! I'll absorb this power like Forte did and I'll then be unbeatable! Farewell! Hikari Brothers! My _half-brothers_!"

"Jet Vernier!"

"CF" Netto ignited the Jet Vernier and flew "out" of the "sky" and towards the entrance of the cave. He landed and ran out while crossing the space where the shield had been at.

"Huff, huff…!"

He spotted "CF" Laika leaning his back against a tree: he was filled with bruises and looked exhausted.

"What the…! IMPOSSIBLE~!" Twilight suddenly roared.

A brutal shockwave emerged from the cave as it collapsed and pushed both "CF" Netto and "CF" Laika forward several meters before they fell into the snow, which cushioned their brusque fall.

"WHOA!"

A gigantic occurred as the cave seemed to sink or collapse given the massive amounts of dust which swept out of its bowels.

"Netto – kun!"

"Laika – sama!"

The "Dimensional Area" faded immediately afterwards: the skies were clear and the sun was shining.

"Ugh… Agh… Ah… Huh…"

"Ah… Huff… Huff…"

"Netto – kun!"

"Laika – sama!"

Netto and Laika managed to stand on their fours while panting from exhaust: they then sat on the snow.

"I'm f-fine, niisan…" Netto replied.

"Don't worry about… me… Search Man…" Laika told him.

"… Netto – kun…" Saito sounded tense.

"… Twilight's signature is gone. But he didn't come out of the "Dimensional Area", sir." Search Man reported.

"W-what?" Netto gasped.

"T-then…!" Laika gasped.

"… He is no more. The explosion annihilated him and the mine: it can't be used anymore." Search Man reported.

"… Gone… But… In the end… We won…" Netto muttered.

"… Yeah… Our _Dark Side_ is gone… Forever." Saito muttered.

"In the end he went down… Like all villains…" Laika folded his arms and was far from impressed.

"Yes, sir… This madness has finally ended, sir."

_The "Dark Side" has been defeated by the "Light Side"…! We've defeat the most terrific or our foes…! Thanks to our friendship power!_


	7. Chapter 7: Victory

**Chapter 7: Victory**

17:17 PM (Japan Time), Tuesday May the 4th…

"… Good afternoon!"

"Welcome!"

Netto stepped into Maha Ichiban's that afternoon and picked a stool to sit down: he then left the Link PET on the counter.

"A Maha Special!" He announced.

"Yes, sir! Right away." Maha smiled.

Dekao suddenly ran out of the kitchen and leant towards Netto, surprising him: he looked annoyed.

"Spit it out, Netto!" He yelled.

"…"Spit it out"… What?" Netto frowned.

"Why can Meiru – chan do "Cross Fusion" and I can't?" Dekao questioned to him.

"Dekao…" Maha grumbled.

"Answer me!"

"… Dekao. You're obsessed with that… "Cross Fusion" needs good "Synchronism" between Navi and Operator! In short: good teamwork is needed!"

"But my and Guts Man's teamwork is unbeatable! I could easily beat Fire Man and co.!" Dekao exclaimed.

"That was because they were toying with you by losing on purpose and making you believe you'd become stronger. You were destroying Maha Niiban's!" Netto complained.

"True! You broke the dishes and burnt the curry. We almost died!" Maha confirmed.

"No way, Master!" Dekao gasped.

"Do something useful instead!" Maha commanded.

"But…!" Dekao protested.

"Do you want to face my anger?" Maha questioned.

"N-no, Master!"

Dekao ran into the kitchen like he was going to be slaughtered alive: both Netto and Maha rolled their eyes and sighed in defeat.

"Guts, guts! Rock Man! Confess! Guts!" Guts Man told him.

"It's like Netto – kun said! You two don't have a powerful enough "Synchronism" rate!" Rock Man rolled his eyes and sighed in defeat.

"The world is cruel, de guts…" Guts Man muttered.

"Yeah. It is. But we can't do a thing about it." Rock Man shrugged.

"Guts…"

"Why don't you go protect Aki – chan instead?" Rock Man teased with a smile.

"O~h! AKI – CHAN! DE GUTSU! GUTS MAN WILL PROTECT AKI – CHAN! GUTS, GUTS!" Guts Man sounded eager.

He ran off at top speed while Rock Man sighed in relief.

"Really… Roll – chan can defend herself well enough! There's no need to have a gorilla – like giant roaming around you the whole time: it'd be more bothersome than useful…" He muttered aloud.

"Heh. Maybe he'll get in Miyabi's way, too." An amused voice commented.

Rock Man turned around and spotted Shadow Man leaning against a wall with his arms folded.

"Oh. Shadow Man… Hum… So… You did get to end that deal with Tesla?"

"Yeah. Miyabi tends to think Hikari Netto is a Lord's container given his dumb luck." Shadow Man replied.

"A Lord's container…?" Rock Man frowned.

"He doesn't believe in coincidences." Shadow Man shrugged.

"Hum… Is that so?" Rock Man looked surprised.

"Yeah. But I'd rather say he dropped all of that time ago." Shadow Man shrugged again.

"Guess so…" Rock Man shrugged as well.

"… So! Miyabi… You keep on amassing money?" Netto asked him.

Miyabi had come in and had seated at his right.

"… Yeah. More or less…" He replied.

"You look tense. Did something happen?" Netto asked.

"I ran into an enigmatic man." Miyabi admitted.

"… Mister K. S., you mean to say?" Netto guessed.

"… Yeah. He told me something enigmatic." Miyabi continued.

"What was it?" Netto asked.

"… "It's possible that future circumstances will allow for a better understanding of both of us. Enjoy your free time until then, gentlemen."… So? What do you think?" Miyabi quoted before asking for his opinion.

"Hmmm… Well! That's rather vague! He usually gave us explicit information… He seems to be a fan of teasing, even…" Netto frowned.

"Sorry for the holdup! The Maha Special." Maha announced as he deposited it on the counter.

"Woho~!" Netto looked eager.

"Hmmm… Maybe he means to say that he's been neutral all along but he'll definitely approach us?" Rock Man tried to guess.

"Sounds like that…" Shadow Man agreed on it.

"Heh, heh, heh… Sounds like a challenge to me." Wily announced from his usual table.

"It may be the case." Miyabi dully replied.

The door opened and Dingo stepped in, looking exhausted.

"… So?" Maha asked.

"Gimme a break!" Dingo groaned.

"I've heard that too many times." Maha replied.

"Man!" Dingo complained.

"If you had _listened_ to me, none of this would happen! And your tomahawk is dangerous: remember how you broke a Net Police car's door with that!" Tomahawk Man annoyingly told him.

"Man…! Everyone wants to boycott me! Who was the one who found that Kabase guy, "Asteroid" Sword Man's Operator, on that apartment building by pure dumb luck?" Dingo protested.

"I'll let that one slip." Tomahawk Man replied.

"Oi! Dingo! Why don't you buy a compass?" Netto suggested.

"Who needs that stuff in the city?" Dingo replied.

"You do." Tomahawk Man replied.

"Dingo is hard to convince, ain't he, Tomahawk Man?" Rock Man asked him.

"He's more stubborn that a boulder." Tomahawk Man grumbled.

"Heh, heh, heh…" Wily chuckled.

"Jeez… Okay! I'll buy a compass!" Dingo grumbled.

"About damned time!" Tomahawk Man was exasperated.

"Try asking for guidance from the Road God." Shadow Man taunted.

"Yeah, yeah. Sure, sure, _Danna_."

17:29 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Aha! Good one! Nenjiro! You're improvin'!"

"… I AIN'T NE - N – JI – RO! I AM NA – PA – L – M – MA – N!"

Napalm Man roared as he heated the PC's monitor up and sounded extremely annoyed.

"Whoa! Hot, hot! Too hot!" Rokushadama tried to cool his hands off.

"Grah! The only person who'd take an "Asteroid" like as a pal and he goes around sayin' silly nicknames! That "Nenjiro" guy is gone! I'm Napalm Man! Do ya get it?" He complained.

"Man…" Rokushadama sighed in defeat.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…"

"Huh? Who goes there?"

"Shadow Man." He announced as he appeared on the right side of the monitor.

"Oh yeah. The _ninja_ guy. Whaddya want?" He shrugged.

"It amuses me: that love-hate bond." He announced.

"WHA~T? LOVE – HATE BOND, YA SAY~? WHY THE SMUG FACE OF THIS JERK!" Napalm Man roared.

"The Fireworks God is your ally, flamed one." Shadow Man used an old-fashioned speech style.

"Fireworks God? He'll help me make better fireworks?" Rokushadama asked while frowning.

"Don't think! Or else yer brain goes up in smoke! Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah!"

"Wha~t?"

"Operation: Love – Hate Bond. Status: Success. Time to return to the village from the campaign… Miyabi will be amused."

17:33 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Heh, heh, heh. It's going to be an exciting trip!"

"So it'd seem."

"Oh! Just get rid of that gloomy face."

Tesla was boasting inside of the apartment as Airstar came in while looking unimpressed.

"… You know I've gotta have a serious face to convince the customers, Tesla."

"So? Did you find Mr. Universe yet?" Tesla asked.

"No. I found a guy with a hat who told me something weird." Airstar replied.

"What was it?" Tesla asked with a grin.

"That you have a "reality distortion field"!" He quoted with a broad grin on his face.

"Huh? Eh… And what does that mean?" Tesla looked surprised.

"I guess it has something to do with your manias."

"My manias…?" Tesla frowned.

"The number 30, maybe?" Charlie asked.

"Charlie…" Gyro Man sounded like he thought it was a bad thing to say.

BANG!

"… Unforgivable! How did they dare make look like a granny? I'm so gonna have my payback on 'em!" Tesla roared as he banged the table.

"Huh…? What?"

"… 30, 33… The Net Police…!" She hissed.

"When are you gonna say "sorry" for the stuff you did as the "Neo WWW" leader, anyway?"

"Shaddup!" She snapped at him.

"… This is bad." Magnet Man grimly muttered.

"Yeah. This is mayhem." Gyro Man sighed in defeat.

Gauss suddenly came and deposited a cup of wine on the table in front of Tesla: she looked up.

"Father?"

"Tesla, my dear… Didn't you tell me to fetch some '99 wine from that French grape?" Gauss reminded her.

"Oh! Indeed. I will praise you, Father." She looked in a better mood.

She slowly picked the cup, shook it a bit and looked at the wine's color: she then brought it close to her nose and smelt it before taking a sip in. she slowly left the cup on the table and smiled.

"Excellent." She announced.

Airstar looked totally surprised.

"Eh… Airstar – kun… You'd be better off not bringing those taboos up or else Tesla will destroy the whole apartment…" He told him in a hushed tone.

"U-uh… Y-yeah… Guess so…"

"Ho, ho, ho! Seychelles! Wait for my glory!" She laughed.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… The Beauty Goddess is your enemy, it'd seem, Tesla Magnets…" Shadow Man suddenly snuck behind Magnet Man while chuckling.

"Wha! Shadow Man!" Magnet Man gasped.

"Why is he here, anyway?" Gyro Man wondered.

"Dunno." Airstar admitted.

"What did you say? The Beauty Goddess is my enemy? WHY YOU! I'll have you regret your words, you old-fashioned _nija otaku_!"

17:41 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Enzan – sama? Enzan – sama!"

"Uh! Ah… Eh? What…?"

Enzan snapped out of his sleep and looked around the office.

"Enzan – sama. It would seem you are exhausted." Blues brought up.

"Y-yeah… But… These projects are important, you know!" Enzan replied.

"… Enzan – sama. Your health is more important." Blues insisted.

"Guess so…" Enzan sighed in defeat.

"Why doesn't Enzan – sama take a break?" Blues suggested.

"Can't be helped, I guess… * yawns *… Gotta go to the residence…" Enzan replied.

He picked up his keys and shut down the computer before grabbing his Link PET and sluggishly stepping out of the office.

"… Netto…" He muttered in a low tone of voice.

"There is nothing to be concerned about. He has recovered." Blues reminded him.

"Uh…? Y-yeah… That's true. Sorry… Let's go." Enzan replied.

_Netto… One day… I will tell you… _

"… Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… The God of Slumber is plotting something behind your back, Ijuuin Enzan…"

"Shadow Man. Get out before I think it twice!" Blues growled.

"Sure. Blame Dr. Wily and his ideas, though."

"Wily…! I knew it: the guy WAS up to something!"

"How lovely." Blues grumbled.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…"

13:47 PM (Moscow Time)…

"… Analysis: complete. No signatures have been detected inside of the cave, Laika – sama."

"I see."

Laika had come again to the collapsed cave to have Search Man perform an analysis of it.

"Laika – sama. It was confirmed that Twilight was destroyed when the explosion." He reminded him.

"Yeah… I just wanted to make sure, I guess." Laika shrugged.

"What should we do, Laika – sama?" Search Man asked.

"Truth is… I was planning on inviting Netto over for a week. I would want to revisit the rare metal mine with him." Laika admitted.

"That sounds interesting, Laika – sama." Search Man smiled.

"Yeah. But I'll wait until July, at the very least. He'll be busy finishing off 6th grade, after all." Laika replied with a smile.

"Roger, Laika – sama."

"Let's go see Morozov." Laika announced.

He climbed into the bike, put on the goggles, and sped away while looking at the clear blue skies.

_Twilight is gone. "Evil" is gone. We can be at peace._

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… The God of Winter is your ally when going out into a campaign, Sharo's Laika…"

"Shadow Man! What are you doing here?" Search Man demanded.

"Scouting ahead of time... In case Tesla Magnets wants to erect a _chateau _here, you see… Well then… Time to head back… Heh, heh, heh…"

"Tesla Magnets wants to build a _chateau _here? She's gotta be half-mad to begin with. Well. Whatever the ever."

18:01 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Heh. Cousin is gone, they say?"

Kanou Shade was sitting on a chair behind a desk on an office room somewhere: a laptop was set atop it and some data was being displayed over its screen.

"No… He fooled us! I can see the grace of it: else why would he have spent this time preparing all these resources and toying with the Time – Space, anyway? Hum… Maybe he's planning to go back to "our story" but make a stop along the way? That sounds likely. I'd do that too once I figure out where the machine I used for that purpose is at… It needs a good software upgrade: it's been untouched ever since August, 2004! My experience here has been a nice one. But maybe I'll be back. You never know. I left that message to the gentlemen just in case. Hum. What could I do if I got my hands in Cousin's money? Set up an organization, maybe? But we wouldn't be "evil"… No… Hum…"

He stretched and then took out the hat and sunglasses to reveal how he had brown hair and blue-irises eyes.

"No. I'd rather test the Net Police and "Net Saviors". It'd be like a field exercise. It'd keep them sharp and all. I can't make something meek and cheap, though…"

"That sounds interesting, Kanou Shade."

"Huh? Who…?"

A simplistic Net Navi colored purple and black and having reddish simplistic eyes plus a mouth-guard suddenly showed up there.

"This is but an avatar. Not unlike the one you used to employ."

"Who are you, sir?"

"Ah. I'm sorry. My manners are slipping. S. Call me "S"."

"Mr. S., then?"

"Correct."

"You have power, I guess."

"Some."

"You don't presume."

"No. I hate presuming."

"You've been watching all of us? We thought we were the ones behind the scenes but… You are in another plane altogether?"

"Bravo, Kanou Shade."

"Heh, heh, heh. Yo! S. Who are ya talkin' to today? Sean Connery?"

"Oh come on! B! Please be realistic."

"Tee, heh, heh, heh. Our big boy is up to something again."

"Companions, Mr. S.?"

"Yeah. We're a trio. We watch on. We've watched on for _years_ and nothing has eluded our sight. But we don't want to say much: we'd be spoiling the surprise, see." "Mr. S." told Shade.

"Ah! I see, I see. Well then… If I came back from my trips, then we should agree on how to contact each other."

"I'll provide a real-world address in which you could build simplistic head-quarters… And we'd be in contact. We'll be watching on in the meanwhile, though, to prepare. It's about time we did something to spice things up after so many years of passivity…"

"Sounds cool, S. Count us in, man."

"Tee, heh, heh, heh, heh."

"Excellent, ladies and gentlemen. We will meet again. That's a gentleman's word." He stood up and made a reverence.

"The pleasure is ours." The Navi did the same.

They then came out of the laptop and Shade looked rather amused: he chuckled under his breath…

21:20 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Phew! Nothing is better than a good shower to shake the tiredness off you."

Netto stepped into his bedroom after having changed into his pajamas and taking out the bandana.

"Maybe I'll be able to check that on my own, otouto!" Saito announced with a smile as he appeared on the PC's screen.

"Yeah. Anyway… I'm gonna have dinner. Can you please take care of checking up the security, Saito – niisan?" Netto replied before requesting of him.

"Sure!" Saito confirmed.

He left the screen as Netto finished preparing his backpack for the next day's classes.

"It's time to nap! The 6th grade's big exams are almost upon me and I need to score high marks on them! I won't lose to 'em!"

"That's the spirit, Netto – kun! By the way! Forte was here and he finally admitted that he was thankful to me for the "thrill ride" back when the "Spectrum Incident"… That's why he pushed me out of the system and then disappeared into that swirl… He says that he'll be watching out for anything dangerous too and that he wants to be our companion, too! Isn't that great?" Saito exposed.

"Whoa! Cool!"

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… So you want to become the _kishin_ like Link in Mujura's Mask, Rock Man?" Shadow Man showed up behind him while chuckling.

"Wha! Shadow Man! Don't come out like that. Well… Yeah… I get that feeling when I use the Bestialize Chips but…!"

"By the way! In case you were wondering, Oozono Yuriko and Needle Man went to Hokkaido to run some investigation on their own."

"Oh yeah? What's it about?"

"Something related to Twilight?"

"Who knows? Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… Farewell!"

He suddenly disappeared and Netto looked puzzled.

"Shadow Man's turning weird."

"Sure is."

"Bah! Don't mind it. It's time to nap."

"Sure."

"And to atomize an atomizer..."

"Hah, hah. I know you picked it off a Pocket Monsters forum user's signature, Netto – kun." Saito wasn't impressed.

"Who knows?" He grinned.

"Netto – kun! Otouto! Stop playing around with me."

"Heh, heh, heh, heh. I like to see that annoyed face."

"Hmpf!" He played the offended.

Netto climbed into the bed and pulled the covers over him: Rock Man's hologram suddenly showed up next to his right ear.

"Beware of curry-eating and _ramen_-eating Dodongos." He grinned.

"Oh come on." Netto groaned.

"It's my little payback, otouto. Bite me next time around."

"Yeah, yeah. Good night, Saito – niisan."

Netto quickly fell asleep while Saito inwardly giggled.

"_Evil" is gone! We can now be at rest, Netto – kun! Sleep well and dream of cyber _ramen _and cyber curry! Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh!_

**THE END**


End file.
